'Housewives' star expects to be typecast

Felicity Huffman has revealed that she expects to be typecast when Desperate Housewives ends.

The Oscar-nominated actress, who plays mum Lynette Scavo, said TV stars often struggle to find work for several years after appearing in a hit series.

She told THR.com: "You get a lot of practice and a lot of chops working on a show - you get to act every week, what a blessing. [But] at the same time, I understand you go into acting jail for a number of years afterwards because people are so tired of your face.

"So I think [the producers] are using up your talent but they're also using up your persona and maybe that's why if you're a lead on one of the shows you're paid so well, because you're trading those five yeas after the show ends when maybe you won't work so much."

However, she acknowledged that many actors successfully emerge from a long-running series without being typecast, joking: "So we'll see. I'm going to go into tug-boat maintenance, that's my plan."

The 45-year-old added that creator Marc Cherry had "seven years in his mind" for the show's full run. It is currently in its fourth year.