After a one-year absence from Wisteria Lane, Andrea Bowen has been invited back to Desperate Housewives. The 19-year-old actress, who plays Susan’s daughter, Julie, did return for one episode last season but now the character is a year older and will be a changed woman linked to the new season’s mystery. I spoke with her exclusively.

You told me in April that you’d be back on Housewives this season and now it’s official. Congrats!
Thanks. This show has always had a huge place in my heart. [Creator] Marc Cherry explained to me after the five-year jump that he needed my character to go away for a while so that we could miss her and then come back with a big splash. He reminded me of that two days ago when he called to touch base about my overall story line this year. This is the first time Julie’s had a solid story arc, which is pretty cool. I have to keep things quiet, because a lot of what has to do with me this year is saucier. Basically, I’m not the same character who left. I come back a different person. Julie has gone through a lot and comes back…different. She’s not the same girl everyone watched grow up.

Sounds like you’re involved in the new season mystery plot.
I don’t know if I can say. I can hint at the fact that I might be. I have a lot of interaction with the Italian family.

The new family’s son is only 19, and Julie is now 25. So if you get hooked up with him, would that make you a cougar?
A cougar at 25, right? I think there’s definite interest in Julie from that character, so we’ll have to see how that plays out. But there’s going to be some shocking twists and turns.

You used the word ‘saucier’. Does that mean sexier?
I think that’s where we’re headed. We alluded to Julie losing her virginity to Austin, but that was still innocent to some extent. What I take on this year will be less innocent. I always knew growing up on Desperate Housewives could lead to this possibility. It’s better that I’ll get to do it with my friends around me.

How will she be different from the last time we saw her?
Keep in mind I started playing Julie when she was 12 years old and now I’m playing her as a 25-year-old women—all in the span of six seasons. Physically, I believe I’m going to look much different as well. As of right now I believe there will be a color change. I’m blonde now, and I can definitely tell you it’s not going to be for long. But it’s going to be her actions this season that will make her different. She’s still going to be kind of the moral compass of the show, but she’ll be doing some things that shock people.

I hear she’s back without her older boyfriend (Steven Weber), whom we met in last year’s club fire episode?
I don’t believe he’s back. She’s alone. I come back with a story line completely independent of that. And I think it’s independent of Susan. She’ll still have a prominent relationship with her mother, but this year I get a lot of my own storylines that are just strictly for Julie. And that’s very exciting.

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