You probably remember her as the tiny girl trailing behind Teri Hatcher on red carpets during the peak Desperate Housewives era. Or maybe you remember her voice—she actually played the Magic Dragon in the 2009 cult classic Coraline. But Emerson Tenney isn’t a kid anymore. Honestly, she’s grown into a career that’s arguably more "behind the curtain" than her mother’s starring roles, and she’s doing it with an Ivy League degree in her back pocket.
If you’re wondering what does Teri Hatcher's daughter do, the answer isn't just one thing. She’s a writer, a director, an animator, and lately, a podcast host. She’s not just "the daughter of" someone famous; she’s carving out a very specific niche in the world of independent filmmaking and digital media.
From Brown University to the Director's Chair
Emerson didn’t just head straight for the Hollywood machine after high school. She took a detour through Providence, Rhode Island, where she attended Brown University. She graduated in 2020—right in the middle of the pandemic—with a B.A. in Literary Arts. That degree seems to have laid the foundation for her current pivot into screenwriting.
She isn't chasing the same spotlight her mom, Teri Hatcher, or her dad, actor Jon Tenney (The Closer), occupied for decades. Instead, Emerson is obsessed with animation.
Her directorial debut, an animated short titled Vibrantea, has been making rounds at film festivals recently. It even snagged the Best Animated Short Film award at the 2025 Manchester International Film Festival. That’s a big deal. It proves she’s got actual technical chops, not just a recognizable last name. She’s also developed projects with some heavy hitters like Toei Animation (the folks behind One Piece) and Lion Forge.
The Desperately Devoted Podcast
If you’ve been on social media lately, you might have seen clips of Emerson sitting in a recording studio next to her mom and Andrea Bowen (who played Susan Mayer's daughter, Julie, on Desperate Housewives).
In September 2025, the trio launched the Desperately Devoted podcast. It’s a rewatch show, but with a twist. While Teri and Andrea are looking back at their lives on Wisteria Lane, Emerson is watching the show for the very first time.
It’s kind of a genius move. You get the nostalgia from the original cast, but you also get Emerson’s "Gen Z" perspective on whether the show’s 2004-era plotlines actually hold up in 2026. She’s basically the "pulse check" for the show's legacy. It’s less about celebrity gossip and more about the weird, funny, and sometimes cringey dynamics of mother-daughter relationships both on and off-screen.
A Career Built on Animation and Writing
Let's look at the specifics of her professional resume. Emerson is currently represented by Magnet Management and focuses primarily on:
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- Screenwriting: Her feature script Freesia won Best Feature Script at the Paris Art and Movie Awards.
- Voice Acting: While she did this more as a child (Coraline, Planes), she still has a foot in the world of voice work.
- Production: She is reportedly developing an original animated musical series starring Evaluna Montaner.
Living Life in Los Angeles
Emerson lives in Los Angeles, but she doesn't seem to have that "influencer" vibe that a lot of celebrity kids fall into. She’s a queer filmmaker who is vocal about wanting to tell stories for underrepresented voices.
She and Teri are famously close. They’re "Swifties" who travel to see Taylor Swift in concert, they run marathons together (Emerson completed the NYC Marathon), and they even show up on red carpets in matching outfits occasionally—like that red-gown moment in Spain last year.
Basically, Emerson Tenney is doing what most 27-year-olds in the industry are trying to do: balancing a "day job" in digital media (the podcast) with her long-term creative passions (animation). She’s just doing it with a little more visibility than the rest of us.
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If you're following her journey, keep an eye on the indie animation circuit. That seems to be where her heart—and her future—really lies. You can catch her weekly takes on the Desperately Devoted podcast if you want to see her and Teri's dynamic in action. It’s worth a listen just to hear her roast her mom’s iconic character.
Actionable Insight: If you're interested in Emerson's creative work, you can follow her film festival updates on platforms like FilmFreeway or listen to the Desperately Devoted podcast on iHeartRadio to get a better sense of her voice as a writer and commentator.