Claim: Felicity Huffman's best known role is that of Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives.

Felicity Kendall Huffman -LRB- born December 9 , 1962 -RRB- is an American film , stage , and television actress .   Huffman began her acting career in theatre and in the 1990s also had many supporting roles in film and television . She starred as executive producer Dana Whitaker in the critically acclaimed ABC comedy-drama Sports Night from 1998 to 2000 , which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination . She is best known for her role as Lynette Scavo in the long-running ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives -LRB- 2004 -- 2012 -RRB- , for which she earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the debut season of the series and three Screen Actors Guild Awards overall .   Huffman drew critical praise for her performance as a transgender woman in the independent film Transamerica -LRB- 2005 -RRB- . The role earned her a Golden Globe Award , Independent Spirit Award , National Board of Review , and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress . Huffman has also starred in such films as Reversal of Fortune -LRB- 1990 -RRB- , The Spanish Prisoner -LRB- 1997 -RRB- , Magnolia -LRB- 1999 -RRB- , Path to War -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , Georgia Rule -LRB- 2007 -RRB- , Phoebe in Wonderland -LRB- 2008 -RRB- , Rudderless -LRB- 2014 -RRB- and Cake -LRB- 2014 -RRB- . Since 2015 , she has started in a third ABC series , the anthology crime drama American Crime , for which she has received critical acclaim including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie nomination . Additionally , she has been nominated on three more occasions for a Golden Globe Award , and has also won an Obie .