Delta Burke McRaney(born July 30, 1956)[1]is an American actress, producer and author. From 1986 to 1991, she starred asSuzanne Sugarbakerin theCBSsitcomDesigning Women,for which she received twoEmmy Awardnominations forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Delta Burke | |
|---|---|
 Burke at the 1990Emmy Awards | |
| Born | July 30, 1956 Orlando, Florida,U.S. |
| Education | Colonial High School |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Known for | Designing Women Delta Filthy Rich |
| Spouse | |
Burke's other television credits includeFilthy Rich(1982–83),Delta(1992–93),Women of the House(1995) andDAG(2000–01).[2]She has produced and starred in made-for-TV movies, appeared in the filmWhat Women Want(2000), and had a recurring guest role in the drama seriesBoston Legal(2006–07). She has also starred in theBroadwayproductions ofThoroughly Modern Millie(2003) andSteel Magnolias(2005).
Early life and Miss Florida
editBurke was born on July 30, 1956, inOrlando, Florida,to a single mother, Jean.[3]Frederick Burke, an Orlando realtor, adopted her after marrying her mother. She has never met her biological father.[3]Burke has two younger siblings: Jonathan and Jennifer.[4]
Burke graduated fromColonial High Schoolin 1974, and won the senior superlative "Most Likely to Succeed."[5]In 1972, she won the Miss Flame crown from the Orlando Fire Department and went on to become State Miss Flame. In her senior year of high school, she won theMiss Floridatitle for 1974;[6]she was the youngest Miss Florida titleholder in pageant history.[7]Burke won a talentscholarshipfrom the Miss America Organization, allowing her to attend a two-year study program at theLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[8]
Career
editEarly career
editIn 1974, as part of winning Miss Florida, Burke appeared on the ABC-TV showBozo the Clown,filmed in Orlando, Florida. A 2001 episode ofLost Treasures ofNFL Filmspresented film footage, taken by Lewis Bice, of her appearance as Miss Florida at theWorld Football League'sWorld Bowlthat same year.
In 1980, Burke portrayed the role of the second Bonnie Sue Chisholm in theCBSwesternminiseries,The Chisholms.Burke spent a year onFilthy Richin 1982 playing the wily young widow, Kathleen Beck. After that, she played football team owner Diane Barrow on1st & Tenfrom 1984 to 1986.
Designing Women
editIn 1986, Burke was cast as Suzanne Sugarbaker in theCBSsitcomDesigning Women;she left1st and Tenin order to appear on the show.Designing Womenwas created byLinda Bloodworth-Thomason,who had previously cast Burke in her showFilthy Rich.The show was set at aninterior designfirm inAtlantaheaded by four women, and Burke was one of the show's four female leads. (Dixie Carter,another of the leads, had been the lead actress onFilthy Rich.) The show struggled in the ratings, and was even briefly cancelled after its first year,[9]but in 1989 began to receive respectable ratings after being paired with the sitcomMurphy Brown.Burke became the show's breakout star,[10]and earned two consecutive nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Seriesin 1990 and 1991; she was the only lead female cast member of the show to be nominated. (Alice Ghostleyreceived a nomination for Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 1992, for her recurring role as Bernice Clifton, whileMeshach Taylorreceived one in 1989 for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.)
In 1990, Burke publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the show on a televised interview withBarbara Waltersand other media outlets. She argued onEntertainment Tonightthat there was a labor dispute, and actors were often forced to work over 15 hours per day, with executives even blocking the doors to keep actors on set. She also said that Dixie Carter, who had once been her close friend and maid of honor at her wedding toGerald McRaney,was not speaking to her as Carter sided with her Boss es. At the end of the fifth season ofDesigning Womenin 1991, Burke was fired from the show due to her contentious relations with Carter and the Thomasons.[2]
1990s
editBurke was given her own vehicle with the sitcomDeltain 1992, in which she portrayed an aspiringcountry musicsinger. She dyed her hair blonde for the role.[11]When ratings plummeted, Burke became a brunette again. The series was cancelled after one season. In 1995, she and Linda Bloodworth Thomason reconciled their differences, and Burke returned as Suzanne Sugarbaker in theDesigning WomenspinoffWomen of the House(1995), but that show also met an early demise.
It took more than a decade for Burke and Carter to reconcile, but they did so when Burke guest-starred in an episode ofFamily Law,on which Carter was a regular cast member.
Weight issues
editSince the early 1990s, Burke's weight has been a subject of discussion in the tabloid press.[2][11]Her struggles with weight,depression,andeating disordersstretch back to her pageant days in the early 1970s. She became a much-parodied figure in the press due to the media's incessant obsession with her weight, including in a skit onSaturday Night Live,wherein Leon Phelps fromThe Ladies Manhas a sexual fixation with her. In 1989, Burke asked Thomason to write an episode addressing her weight. The episode, "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?", had Suzanne Sugarbaker going to her 15-year high school reunion and having her feelings hurt after hearing disparaging remarks about her weight. Her performance on this episode is said to have led to her receiving her firstEmmynomination as Best Actress.[12]
Later career
editBurke has been a leading actress in a number of television films, and had a supporting role in theMel GibsonfilmWhat Women Want(2000).[11]
In the early 2000s, she co-starred withDavid Alan Grieron the sitcomDAG;she had lost much of her excess weight for the role after being diagnosed with diabetes.
Burke made her Broadway debut in September 2003, when she starred as Mrs. Meers in the musicalThoroughly Modern Millie.[13]She was the third actress to play the role in the production, afterHarriet Harrisand Terry Burrell. She played the role until February 2004, before being succeeded by herDesigning Womenco-starDixie Carter.[14]Burke then played the role of Truvy in the original Broadway production ofSteel Magnolias,playing the role for the shows entire four-month run from April 4 - July 31, 2005.[15]
She also played Bella Horowitz during a five-episode arc onBoston Legalas a former flame ofWilliam Shatner's character,Denny Crane,in season three.[16]
Burke appeared in aHallmark Channelfilm,Bridal Fever,which aired February 2, 2008.[citation needed]
In March 2012, Burke was cast in the ABC comedy pilotCounter Culture.[17]However, after Burke fell on the set, production of the pilot was suspended and it was not picked up to series.
Personal life
editBurke has been married to actorGerald McRaneysince May 28, 1989. They have no children together, although McRaney has adult children from his prior marriages. Burke and McRaney's primary residence is inLos Angeles, California;they also own a house inTelluride, Colorado,and one inNew Orleans, Louisiana.[citation needed]
Burke has been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes.[18][19]
Burke is a supporter ofgay rights,[20]and has worked with openly gay playwright and screenwriterDel Shoreson many occasions, inSordid LivesandSouthern Baptist Sissies.[20]In 2006, Burke and openly gay Tennessee actorLeslie Jordanwere uninvited from the Nashville talk showTalk of the Townafter the show's managing director decided the subject matter to be discussed would offend conservative viewers.[21]Burke first became supportive of gay people and gay rights through attending acting school in London and also through her sister Jennifer, who is a lesbian.[20]
Burke is a designer and manager of the clothing companyDelta Burke Design,headquartered in New York City.[11]
Burke and McRaney also own an antiques store inCollins, Mississippi.
Burke hascompulsive hoarding syndrome,for which she received therapy. "At one time I had 27 storage units. I don't have a big enough house!" she said. "My mom had it, it's my mother's fault. She saved the diaper I came home from the hospital in!"[22]
Filmography
edit| Film and Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Zuma Beach | Terri | Uncredited |
| 1979 | The Seekers | Elizabeth Fletcher Kent | TV miniseries |
| Charleston | Stella Farrell | TV movie | |
| A Last Cry for Help | Carol | ||
| 1980 | The Chisholms | Bonnie Sue Chisholm | TV miniseries |
| The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | Diane Stone | Episode: "The Haunting of Orly Manor" | |
| 1981 | Nero Wolfe | Jean Wellmann | Episode: "Murder by the Book" |
| The Fall Guy | Cantina Waitress | Episode: "The Fall Guy" | |
| 1982 | Rooster |
Laura DeVega |
TV movie |
| The Fall Guy | Bryna | Episode: "Mighty Myron" | |
| 1982–1983 | Filthy Rich | Kathleen Beck | 15 episodes |
| 1983 | Johnny Blue | Joanne Kruger | TV pilot episode |
| Fantasy Island | Gloria Ransom | Episode: "The Devil Stick/Touch and Go" | |
| Murder Me, Murder You | Paula Corey | TV movie | |
| Gun Shy | Clementine | Episode: "Mail Order Mommy" | |
| Remington Steele | Nancy Stinson Dannon | Episode: "Altared Steele" | |
| 1983–1984 | The Love Boat | Andrea Sheppard | 3 episodes |
| 1984 | Automan | Rachel Innis | Episode: "Unreasonable Facsimile" |
| Mike Hammer | Linda Sloane | "Shots in the Dark" | |
| T. J. Hooker | Diana Polnoi | Episode: "Grand Theft Auto" | |
| 1984–1988 | 1st & Ten | Diane Barrow | 6 episodes |
| 1985 | Who's the Boss? | Diane Wilmington | Episode: "Paint Your Wagon" |
| A Bunny's Tale | Margie | TV movie | |
| 1986–1991 | Designing Women | Suzanne Sugarbaker | 120 episodes |
| 1986 | Hotel | Sherry | Episode: "Restless Nights" |
| 1987 | Simon & Simon | Christy Keating | Episode: "Desperately Seeking Dacody" |
| 1988 | Where the Hell's That Gold? | Germany | TV movie |
| 1991 | Saturday Night Live | Herself/host | Episode: "Delta Burke/Chris Isaak" |
| Love and Curses... And All That Jazz | Desiree | TV movie | |
| 1992 | Day-O | Grace Connors | |
| 1992–1993 | Delta | Delta Bishop | 17 episodes |
| 1994 | The Mighty Jungle | Viola (voice) | 26 episodes |
| Diagnosis: Murder | Maggie Donahue/Sister Michael | Episode: "Sister Michael Wants You" | |
| 1995 | Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again | Mrs. Heiser | TV movie |
| Women of the House | Suzanne Sugarbaker | 13 episodes | |
| 1996–2001 | Touched by an Angel | Julia Fitzgerald/Diana Winslow | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | A Promise to Carolyn | Debra | TV movie |
| Maternal Instincts | Tracy Horton | ||
| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Myrtle Beech | Episode: "Swear to God, This Time We're Not Kidding" | |
| Promised Land | Julia Fitzgerald | Episode: "Homecoming" | |
| 1997 | Melanie Darrow | Melanie Darrow | TV movie |
| 1998–1999 | Any Day Now | Teresa O'Brien | Episodes: "I Feel Awful", "Music from My Life" |
| 1999–2001 | Popular | Cherry Cherry | 6 episodes |
| 2000 | Sordid Lives | Noleta Nethercott | |
| What Women Want | Eve | ||
| 2000–2001 | DAG | Judith Whitman | 17 episodes |
| 2001 | Dangerous Child | Sally Cambridge | TV movie |
| 2002 | St. Sass | Billie Lang | |
| Family Law | Marcie Dell | Episode: "Ties That Bind" | |
| Hansel & Gretel | Stepmother | ||
| 2003 | Going For Broke | Laura Bancroft | TV movie |
| The Designing Women Reunion | Herself | TV special | |
| Good Boy! | Barbara Ann (voice) | ||
| 2006 | The Year Without a Santa Claus | Mrs. Claus | TV movie |
| 2006–2007 | Boston Legal | Bella Horowitz | 5 episodes |
| 2007 | The Wedding Bells | Sheila Pontell | Episode: "For Whom the Bells Toll" |
| 2008 | Bridal Fever | Dahlia Marchand | TV movie |
| 2009 | Drop Dead Diva | Tessa Wells | Episode: "Make Me a Match" |
| 2012 | Counter Culture | Nonie | TV pilot episode |
| 2019 | Dolly Parton's Heartstrings | Ellie Holder | Episode: "If I Had Wings" |
Nonfiction
edit- Delta Style: Eve Wasn't a Size 6 and Neither Am I(1998, St. Martin's Press;ISBN0-312-15454-2)
References
edit- ^"July 30, 1956: Delta Burke, star of tabloids and television, born in Orlando".Florida History Network.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 9,2023.
- ^abcDelta Burke- Biography,Yahoo!.Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^ab"Blockbuster Mobile – Delta Burke (from All Movie Guide)".Blockbuster. Archived fromthe originalon March 15, 2012.RetrievedMarch 15,2012.
- ^"Delta Force: After a Self-Imposed Exile, a Bolder, Happier Burke Returns to Hollywood".Archived fromthe originalon May 20, 2012.RetrievedJune 21,2012.
- ^"CHS Alumni".Ocps.net. Archived fromthe originalon October 2, 2011.RetrievedMarch 15,2012.
- ^"Forever Miss Florida".
- ^"July 30, 1956: Delta Burke, star of tabloids and television, born in Orlando".
- ^Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television.Vol. 7. Gale Research Company. 1989. p. 48.
- ^Virginia Rohan (April 14, 2002)."'Once & Again' won't be back ".North Jersey Media Group. Archived fromthe originalon June 10, 2007.RetrievedJuly 13,2007.
- ^"DELTA BURKE IS 'FINALLY READY TO BREAK HER SILENCE': SHE'S 'IN A GOOD PLACE'".OK! USA.November 8, 2020.
- ^abcdDelta Burke biography,AllRovi,Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^IMDb: Emmy Awards: 1990
- ^"Delta Burke".IBDB.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^"Dixie Carter".IBDB.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^"Steel Magnolias".IBDB.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^"They have designs on TV feuds".USA Today.November 13, 2006.RetrievedApril 21,2015.
- ^Nellie Andreeva (March 23, 2012)."Delta Burke To Star In 'Counter Culture', 'How To Live' & 'Mistresses' Add To Casts".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedMarch 24,2012.
- ^"Delta Burke is Battling Diabetes with the Lets Talk Campaign".Battlediabetes.RetrievedMarch 15,2012.
- ^"Caregiving: Delta Burke on Diabetes – Health News".redOrbit. March 16, 2007.RetrievedMarch 15,2012.
- ^abcGay southern comfort from Delta Burke
- ^TMZ: Delta Burke, Will And Grace Actor "Too Gay For Nashville"...
- ^"Delta Burke opens up about depression, hoarding –".Usatoday. February 28, 2008.RetrievedMarch 15,2012.
External links
edit