Desperate Housewives creator MARC CHERRY has revealed he started plotting Nicollette Sheridan's departure from the show months before an incident the actress insists led to her firing.
Cherry testified on Wednesday (07Mar12) that Sheridan's alleged unprofessional behaviour on set was a factor in his decision.
He told the court she struggled with her dialogue, criticised her co-stars and upset writers with her remarks about their scripts.
He recalled one bust-up with Teri Hatcher when Sheridan pulled him to one side and insisted her co-star was "the meanest woman in the world", prompting the actress' lawyer to object and end the line of questioning.
Cherry also testified about one scene, for which Sheridan couldn't get her dialogue right: "She only had five or six lines and she had come to the set and didn’t know any of them. This wasn’t the only time this had happened."
And he told the court he also witnessed examples of Sheridan’s alleged unprofessionalism behaviour towards his writers, adding, "She made insulting comments about her dialogue."
The actress maintains she was fired from the show after she complained to TV network bosses about an incident when Cherry hit her on the head. The writer/producer claims he was merely demonstrating a scene to his former star.
The trial continues.