Shawn Pyfrom as Andrew Van de Kamp
Andrew Van De Kamp, on the drama series
Desperate Housewives, is portrayed by Shawn Pyfrom. Andrew is a young man who, despite his intelligence and potential, has made making his mother’s life miserable his ultimate goal. He, like his sister Danielle, has often rebelled against their mother Bree, mainly because he had grown tired of her obsession with creating and presenting the perfect family.
Andrew knew that he was far from his mother’s “ideal son,” most especially because of his bisexuality. After being expelled from school and terribly disrespecting Bree, his father, Rex, who initially opposed sending Andrew to a juvenile boot camp, quickly changed his mind and had Andrew taken away for some strict and professional disciplining. While at the camp, Andrew came out to Bree, and her reaction was far from supportive. Since then, he was convinced that his own mother would never come to accept or love him, and this feeling was further heightened when Bree told him that if he did not change, he would not go to Heaven. Shortly thereafter, Andrew asked to speak to their Reverend, but instead of confessing his sins, told the Reverend that he, apart from being an atheist and a bisexual, planned on destroying his mother’s life.
Despite having been closer to his father, Rex, and his intense anger towards Bree, there were some moments when Andrew showed seemingly sincere sympathy and genuine care for his mother. As his parents were going through a divorce (which later on did not push through due to Rex’s first heart attack), he received a car from his father, which Bree immediately ordered Andrew to give back. He was furious at his mother, but when he found out that his father had an affair, he apologized to Bree and became angry with Rex.
Nevertheless, after Rex’s death, Andrew grew even more distant and rebellious, and event flaunted his relationship with Justin in his mother’s face. Even though Bree assured him of her good intentions and despite her covering for him when he accidentally ran over Carlos’ Solis mother, Andrew stuck with his plan to destroy Bree’s life. He finally wore out Bree’s patience when he seduced and slept with Bree’s male AA mentor, who also happened to be a bi-curious sex addict. As a result, Bree drove him into the middle of nowhere and abandoned him with a bag full of clothes and some money. Andrew returned to Wisteria Lane when Bree got married to Orson Hodge.
(Photo courtesy of ABC)