Jesse Metcalfe gets annoyed when people refer to his “Desperate Housewives” character as “the gardener.” That was so five seasons ago.
His TV persona, John Rowland, has grown up since first appearing on the ABC show in 2004. Sure, he started out as Eva Longoria’s beefcake lawn jockey (and boy toy), but since then he’s gotten married, divorced and rich. “He’s not a gardener anymore,” Metcalfe says firmly. “He’s a grown man.” Metcalfe, himself, has grown up, too. He’s graduated from shirtless stud roles to more adult affairs (pun intended) such as this September’s movie thriller “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt” (with Metcalfe starring opposite Michael Douglas). He’s also hosting Saturday’s Arts for ACT charity auction in Estero, where he’ll get some help from actress Sharon Stone, who is returning to the auction for the third time. Stone hosted the event in 1999 and 2005. Talk to Metcalfe for more than a few minutes and you’ll quickly see there’s more to him than dreamy eyes and killer pecs.
He plays guitar and writes songs. He collects taxidermy (including a boar’s head and a stuffed eagle). And he’s an avid art fan, chatting energetically about artists such as Robert Rauschenberg and Willem de Kooning (his personal art collection includes a charcoal nude appraised at $150,000).