John Rowland (Desperate Housewives)

John Rowland
Jesse Metcalfe as John Rowland
Desperate Housewives character
Portrayed by	Jesse Metcalfe
Duration	2004–07, 2009
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, October 3, 2004
Last appearance	"The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" 6x04, October 18, 2009
Created by	Marc Cherry
Profile
Occupation	Restaurant owner Formerly Hotel Executive Formerly Gardener
Parents Helen Rowland (mother) Bob Rowland (father) Siblings Unnamed sister Spouse Tammy Sinclair (ex-wife) Children Unnamed child (with Tammy) Other relatives Unnamed sister

John Rowland is a fictional character portrayed by actor Jesse Metcalfe and created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is introduced as the teenage gardener of one of the titular housewives, Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), with whom she has an affair and cheats on her husband, Carlos Solis (Ricardo Antonio Chavira).

Before Jesse Metcalfe was cast as John Rowland, actor Kyle Searles originated the role in the unaired pilot of the show. In June 2004, ABC called for three starring cast members to be recast. Metcalfe replaced Searles as John Rowland, as producers wanted to add more sexual appeal to the role "to justify why (Gabrielle) was having an affair." Metcalfe had previously read for the role during the initial casting process. He began playing the seventeen-year-old gardener when he was twenty-five.

Metcalfe was a regular cast member during the first season. However, after the affair is revealed to Carlos in the first season finale by John himself, Metcalfe left the regular cast. Since his departure, he has made several guest appearances in subsequent seasons.

John Rowland is employed by Gabrielle and Carlos Solis as a gardener. Gabrielle, having become bored with her husband never being with her, decided to seduce her teenage gardener. The pair embarked on an illicit affair which encountered several difficulties. The most prolific of these difficulties came when Gabrielle's mother in law, Mama Solis, arrived to Wisteria Lane, called out by her son to find out if Gabrielle is in fact cheating on him. Consequently, Juanita struck out on a mission to learn the truth. However, she was hit by a car driven by Andrew Van de Kamp after discovering the affair. The hit and run placed Juanita into a coma. John became overwhelmed with guilt and confessed the affair to Father Crowley. John's mother, Helen Rowland, overheard a conversation between her son and his friend Justin, in which they alluded to the fact the John was sleeping with a housewife. Helen suspected of Susan Mayer, but then Gabrielle confessed to her and she promised that it was all, to which Helen replied by saying "It's not even close to being over". Afterwards, when the police arrive at the Solis house to arrest Carlos, Gabrielle thinks they have come for her, sent by Helen. Weeks later, in the episode "Your Fault", the Rowlands meet with Gabrielle to tell her John has moved out and they expect her to help them move back into their house. Gabrielle meets with John, and he proposes to her. Gabrielle is forced to reject him. It is later revealed that Danielle Van de Kamp has a crush on John and wants to give him her virginity, but her mother Bree stopped that from happening. John becomes entranced once again by Gabrielle and may have conceived her unborn child. He demanded to see Carlos but Gabrielle refused, explaining to him that Carlos is the father of the child no matter what because he can provide.