- Teri Hatcher first gained attention playing Lois Lane in the 90s TV series ‘Lois & Clark’
- The actress famously played a Bond girl in ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ and Susan Mayer in ‘Desperate Housewives’
- Teri has been married twice and shares one child with her ex-husband, Jon Tenney
Teri Hatcher has had one incredible career in Hollywood after starting out as an NFL cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers (check out the amazing photo on her Instagram). The bombshell actress, born in Palo Alto, CA on December 6, 1964, quickly made her way through Tinseltown following the cheerleading stint, landing quite a few gigs on sitcom pilots before hitting it big as Lois Lane in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in 1993. The iconic DC comic role would end up cementing her name as a leading lady.
Up next for Teri was a whirlwind of high-profile projects, including playing Bond girl Paris Carver in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies alongside Pierce Brosnan. She also made hilarious appearances on Seinfeld and Saturday Night Live around the time. Then came ABC’s Desperate Housewives and the role of Susan Mayer, which launched her into the stratosphere of fame. The role also brought her a Golden Globe for Best Actress, three Screen Actors Guild Awards (one as lead female actor, two as part of Best Ensemble), and an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Having carved out a steady career, Teri was also able to focus on making her personal life as much a success. She would wed twice, with her first go at marriage taking place in 1988 to Marcus Leithold. They would divorce a year later. In 1994, Teri said “I do” to actor Jon Tenney. The couple split in 2003 after welcoming a baby together, daughter Emerson Tenney.
Since then, Teri has been focused on raising her baby girl. “I’ve always made mothering the priority of my life, over my career, over everything,” she told People in 2006. The star even admitted to looking into adoption to give Emerson a little sibling. “Emerson and I have talked about it,” she told the outlet. “She wants it to be a girl, and I think she’d be a great big sister.”
Although Emerson may not have become a big sister yet, she certainly has been thriving as an adult. Let’s take a deep dive and find out more about Teri’s only child, below!
How old was Emerson when her parents divorced?
Teri and Jon welcomed Emerson on November 10, 1997. The family was a unit for most of Emerson’s childhood until her parents went their separate ways in 2003. While Teri spoke of adopting another child after the divorce, she was also a bit hesitant with the co-parenting plans. “The way I look at it, one child would have a father and one wouldn’t. One child would come and go from (the father’s) house, and one wouldn’t … I’m not saying it’s impossible… (but) I haven’t completely given up on finding a partner,” she told People in 2006.
Later, Teri told the outlet that she and Jon had worked the co-parenting out. “I never wanted Emerson to have parents in different households, and I’ll always feel guilty forever that she has to go back and forth,” she said in 2008. “But her dad and I work really hard to make it as easy as possible for her, and I genuinely think she’s OK,” she said.
She’s a voice actress
Emerson followed in her mother’s Hollywood footsteps almost as soon as possible! Her first big gig came at the age of 12, when she voiced the character of Magic Dragon in the film Caroline, per her IMDB. In 2013, she also voiced characters for the Disney film Planes. More recently, she’s been focusing on traveling the world, as documented on her Instagram!
Emerson graduated from Brown University
Emerson certainly has the smarts running in her blood, as Teri’s parents were both scientists! She put them to good use as she graduated from Brown University in 2020. Teri took to her own Instagram to share the exciting news at the time, writing, “The class of #2020 is primed to be more resilient than most, making lemonade from lemons, with an eye for what is truly important. After the virtual & moving ceremony this morning, I dry my tears, blow my nose and toast to all your hard work and the great things I see in your future. Congratulations on reaching this amazing milestone! I love you so much!!! #proudmama #BrownU #brown2020 #EverTrue”
She and Teri had a unique Mother’s Day tradition
For Mother’s Day, Teri, Emerson and Teri’s mom Esther used to spend the holiday at Hollywood Park, a horse track in Los Angeles that was torn down in 2015 and is now the location for the new SoFi Stadium. The ladies would enjoy the day there in what Teri called her own version of the Kentucky Derby, per People. “It’s a little like teaching your kids how to gamble,” Teri joked at the time to the outlet.