Culture November 19, 2021

'Desperate Housewives' stars Teri Hatcher and James Denton talk reuniting for holiday movie

WATCH: Teri Hatcher, James Denton reunite in new Hallmark film, ‘A Kiss Before Christmas’

"Desperate Housewives" stars Teri Hatcher and James Denton are reuniting for the first time since leaving Wisteria Lane nearly 10 years ago.

The duo told "Good Morning America" that sharing the screen again for "A Kiss Before Christmas," their new Hallmark Channel holiday film airing Sunday, was something they "just slipped right back into" chemistry-wise.

"There's a lot of trust, and we both say that when you start off your relationship working together naked in the bushes, you either create a lot of trust right from the beginning or it's not going to work," Hatcher, 56, told "GMA." "It's just one of those things where it feels like a lot of time [has gone by], but it also feels like yesterday."

Denton, 58, told "GMA" he agreed to "A Kiss Before Christmas" under the stipulation that Hatcher also sign onto movie, so he texted her and the rest is history.

Danny Feld/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images, FILE
Teri Hatcher and James Denton star in "Desperate Housewives," in episode "Who's That Woman?" which aired Sept. 17, 2004 on ABC.

The trust level, he said, recalling how she helped him get through one of his more difficult scenes in the film, is "very comfortable."

"That's something you can't buy," Denton said.

Hallmark Channel's description of "A Kiss Before Christmas" reads: "Ethan [Denton] wishes his life was different and wakes up to a new reality — he isn't married to Joyce [Hatcher], doesn't have kids and is CEO of his company. To get his life back Ethan must convince Joyce by Christmas that happily ever after is waiting for them."

Denton said the movie is quite different from what "Desperate Housewives" fans might expect.

"We had one bedroom scene on like the second day, and we laughed because [Hatcher] had on long sleeves and long pants, these silk pajamas, and I'm like, 'We're not on Wisteria Lane anymore,'" he joked. "Very different bedroom scene than we were used to doing, but maybe it was more age-appropriate."

Ron Tom/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images, FILE
Teri Hatcher and James Denton star in episode "You Take for Granted" of "Desperate Housewives," which aired March 11, 2012 on ABC.

Hatcher said part of her reason for doing "A Kiss Before Christmas" was for the fans, because she said her and Denton's "Desperate Housewives" characters, Mike and Susan, "never got the happily ever after ending that maybe people wanted for them."

"So I think vicariously they are gonna get it through watching this film," she said.

Denton said he didn't mind that Mike was killed off toward the end of the eighth and final season of "Desperate Housewives," even though it meant heartbreak for Susan.

"I was kinda lucky when they killed me at the end because I got a big send-off," he said. "So I got the best of both worlds, because all the guys were afraid when they were going to get killed."

This didn't ring true for Hatcher, who said, "I didn't really see it that way. I was crying for days and days."

Tune into "A Kiss Before Christmas" on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel.