How do you feel about your character, Gabrielle?
She's a very complicated and in some ways lonely woman. She doesn't feel loved, she's come to realise that her life hasn't worked out the way she had hoped it would, and she's caught in an unhappy marriage. So I think a lot of women can identify and appreciate her dilemma and can understand why she's having this relationship with the gardener. Gabrielle isn't cheating on her husband just out of some selfish, wicked desire for sex with a younger man - she's lonely and looking for some romance and something to make her feel wanted and desired. Every woman needs that, you know what I mean? (Laughs.)

Aside from the quality of the series, there's a huge amount of publicity being given to the obvious physical beauty of the cast. Teri Hatcher has had a revival as a pin-up girl, and you're now getting an incredible amount of press as one of the sexiest women alive. How does that feel?
(Laughs.) It's pretty flattering, especially when you go through life being told you're too short, you're too dark, you're not the typical actress type that a lot of casting directors and producers are looking for.

When I was growing up in Texas, I was the odd girl out in my family. I was the darkest of four girls. All my three older sisters were much lighter-skinned and fairer than me - it was like I was the strange, adopted girl in the family and a lot of people made fun of me because I looked so different from my sisters. So that was my world when I was growing up and it wasn't until I was 15 or 16 that I really came into my own and starting getting a lot of attention from guys.

So when I see myself on a lot of magazine covers now, in one way I'm very proud and flattered, and in another sense I'm laughing back at all those people who were mean to me when I was getting teased as a weird-looking kid. It's a nice form of poetic justice.

It's strange that in the US, which is going through a conservative era, that your series has attracted so much attention for being very provocative.
People will always be interested in relationships and infidelity and sex and everything connecting to things going on in their own lives.

We're not trying to shock people as much as draw attention to lots of pent-up frustrations that women have to deal with. So there's a lot of satire and black humour, but underlying that are a lot of the basic problems that face married women. That's what's drawing both men and women to the show - it's not just about being racy and provocative.

Your figure is currently all the talk in Hollywood. How do you stay fit?
I've been a big believer in workouts for a long time. I like feeling very fit and toned, although I think you can also overdo it and so even though people think I'm skinny, I'm really not. I eat a lot and I don't worry about dieting or going on strict health-food regimens. If you lead an active life and you work out three or four times a week, you're going to have a great body and have a lot of energy. Working out is also a great way of releasing stress and tension, so I really recommend it.

There's also a lot of pressure on women in Hollywood to wear the latest or coolest dress. You're being hailed as one of the best-dressed women in the business these days; how do you manage that?
Well, thank you. I find it kind of surprising, because I'm not that into designer clothes.

I've always been amazed by the outfits people wear to the Oscars and events like that, and this year I was invited to the Vanity Fair party and that was a huge thrill for me because I got to see some of my favourite actors, like Johnny Depp. I couldn't believe I was standing next to people like that - it was like being in another world.

Was becoming a Hollywood actress always in your sights even at a young age?
I always loved the glamour of it all, but even after I started going to beauty pageants and people started telling me I should think about acting, I was never really convinced. That's why I wanted to get my university degree (a bachelor of science degree from Texas A&M university) before I even dared thinking about becoming an actress.

But I was lucky to get some good roles on Beverly Hills 90210 and the daily soaps, and at least I knew I could make a decent living in this business. But it was always difficult for me to imagine myself going to awards shows or the big parties.

Are you anxious to establish yourself in films now?
My priority is with Housewives, obviously, but I'd like to make movies when I have the chance.

I'm doing The Sentinel with Michael Douglas and Kim Basinger this summer, so that's going to be a major deal for me. But my TV series is the main focus of my life right now and I just want to enjoy that and everything that comes with it.

How happy are you in your life right now?
Oh, I'm very happy. I'm trying to stay calm and not feel like this is all too good to be true and any day it can disappear. You can't think like that or feel stressed by the fact that a lot of opportunities are opening up for you. I've worked hard to get to this point and this is one more stage in my life. I'm not going to turn into another kind of person because of all this. I know who I am and I'm looking forward to the next day.

Could you ever imagine yourself being a desperate housewife?
I would never be desperate! (Laughs.)