"Desperate Housewives" star James Denton testified Thursday that he was not surprised that Nicollette Sheridan's character was killed off in a scene "because characters get killed so often" on the show.
The actor, who plays Mike Delfino (left) on the show, took the stand at Los Angeles Superior Court for the defense in Sheridan's $6 million wrongful termination suit against "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry and ABC. Sheridan is claiming that Cherry killed off her character in retaliation after she reported the September 24, 2008 incident, which she characterized as a "nice wallop."
Also read: Marc Cherry: Nicollette Sheridan Was Unhappy Because Her Line Was Cut
Under questioning by defense attorney Adam Levin, Denton said that he first learned about the death of Sheridan's Edie Britt character by reading it in the script.
"Did you ever think your character was going to die?" Levin asked.
"Always," Denton replied.
When Sheridan's attorney Mark Baute asked whether Edie Britt was the biggest character to have been killed on the show, he responded, "technically, yes."
Also read: Marc Cherry on Nicollette Sheridan 'Wallop' Claim: 'I Thought I Had Permission'
But when her attorney suggested that all the main characters on the show are women, Denton demurred.
"That's a tough question for me, being number five on the call sheet," he said. "I'd like to think not."
Denton, who spent 10 minutes on the stand, said he first learned about Cherry's alleged "wallop" of Sheridan from buzz on the set. He also testified that Sheridan did not tell him directly about the wrongful termination suit; he heard about that on the set as well.