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‘It’s black and white. I did it’: Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman on her comeback after jail

As she hits the stage in an anarchic comedy about a family in freefall, the once-Oscar-nominated actor talks about her 2019 fraud conviction, why she’d never play a trans woman again – and being defended by David Mamet

Not everyone who sees the new revival of Taylor Mac’s anarchic comedy Hir (pronounced “here”) will realise that the play was named by the New York Times as one of the 25 most influential works of postwar queer literature, alongside the likes of Angels in America and Giovanni’s Room. When I ask how she feels now about the college admissions scandal – for which she served 11 days in prison, paid a $30,000 fine and completed 250 hours community service – she uses the code name given to the case by the FBI. Photograph: Ron Tom/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty ImagesMac, who uses the pronoun “judy”, tells me later over video-call from New York that the nature of Huffman’s crime is part of what makes her perfect for the role of Paige.

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