Delta Burke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Delta Burke
Burke at the 1990 Emmy Awards
Born	(1956-07-30) July 30, 1956 (age 69) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Actress producer author
Years active	1974–present
Known for	Designing Women Delta Filthy Rich
Spouse(s)	Gerald McRaney ​ (m. 1989)​

Delta Burke McRaney (born July 30, 1956) is an American actress, producer, and author. She is best known for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the TV show Designing Women from 1986 to 1991. For this role, she was nominated for two Emmy Awards, which are big awards for TV shows.

Delta Burke has also appeared in many other TV shows like Filthy Rich (1982–83), Delta (1992–93), and Women of the House (1995). She has also acted in movies, including What Women Want (2000), and had a role in the TV drama Boston Legal (2006–07). On stage, she has performed in Broadway musicals and plays like Thoroughly Modern Millie (2003) and Steel Magnolias (2005).

Early Life and Pageant Success

Delta Burke was born on July 30, 1956, in Orlando, Florida. Her mother, Jean, later married Frederick Burke, who adopted Delta. She has two younger siblings, Jonathan and Jennifer.

Delta graduated from Colonial High School in 1974. She was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by her classmates. Before graduating, she won the Miss Flame crown from the Orlando Fire Department in 1972. In her senior year of high school, she won the Miss Florida title for 1974. She was the youngest person ever to win this title. Winning Miss Florida helped her get a scholarship to study acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Television

After winning Miss Florida in 1974, Delta Burke appeared on the ABC-TV show Bozo the Clown. She also appeared at the World Football League's World Bowl that same year.

In 1980, she acted in the CBS western miniseries The Chisholms. From 1982 to 1983, she played Kathleen Beck in Filthy Rich. She then played football team owner Diane Barrow in 1st & Ten from 1984 to 1986.

Starring in Designing Women

In 1986, Delta Burke got a big role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women. She left 1st and Ten to join this show. The show was about four women who ran an interior design business in Atlanta. Delta Burke quickly became a very popular star on the show.

Even though the show had a slow start, it became very successful by 1989. Delta Burke was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series awards in 1990 and 1991. She was the only main actress from the show to receive these nominations.

In 1990, Delta Burke spoke publicly about her concerns with the show, including long working hours. She left Designing Women in 1991 after the fifth season.

Projects in the 1990s

After Designing Women, Delta Burke starred in her own sitcom called Delta in 1992. In this show, she played a singer who wanted to become a country music star. The show lasted for one season.

In 1995, she returned to play Suzanne Sugarbaker in a spin-off show called Women of the House, but this show also ended quickly. Later, she and her former co-star, Dixie Carter, became friends again when Delta Burke appeared on an episode of Family Law.

Health and Later Career

Delta Burke has openly shared her experiences with health challenges, including her struggles with weight. In 1989, she asked the writers of Designing Women to create an episode about her character's feelings about weight. This episode, "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?", helped her earn her first Emmy nomination.

In the early 2000s, Delta Burke co-starred in the sitcom DAG. She also had a supporting role in the movie What Women Want (2000).

She made her debut on Broadway in 2003, playing Mrs. Meers in the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. In 2005, she played Truvy in the Broadway play Steel Magnolias.

Delta Burke also appeared in five episodes of the TV show Boston Legal from 2006 to 2007. In 2008, she starred in the Hallmark Channel movie Bridal Fever. In 2012, she was cast in a TV pilot called Counter Culture, but production was stopped after she had an accident on set.

Personal Life

Delta Burke has been married to actor Gerald McRaney since May 28, 1989. They do not have children together, but Gerald McRaney has adult children from previous marriages. They live in Los Angeles, California, and also have homes in Telluride, Colorado, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Delta Burke has been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. She is also a strong supporter of gay rights. She has worked with playwright Del Shores on projects like Sordid Lives. She became supportive of gay rights through her acting school in London and because her sister, Jennifer, is a lesbian.

Delta Burke is also a designer and runs her own clothing company called Delta Burke Design, which is based in New York City. She and her husband, Gerald McRaney, also own an antiques store in Collins, Mississippi.

Delta Burke has shared that she loves collecting things and has received help to manage her large collections. She once said, "At one time I had 27 storage units. I don't have a big enough house!"

Film and Television Roles

Books by Delta Burke

• Delta Style: Eve Wasn't a Size 6 and Neither Am I (1998, St. Martin's Press; ISBN: 0-312-15454-2)

See also

In Spanish: Delta Burke para niños