Delta Burke is best known for her portrayal as Suzanne Sugarbaker in CBS's
Designing Women (1986), which ran for seven seasons and for which she received two Emmy
nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. When a teenager she
represented Florida in the Miss America Pageant, and won a talent
scholarship, which she used to attend a two-year study program at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
She got her first television role within a month of her arrival in Los
Angeles. She starred in the TV movie
The Seekers (1979) and the series
The Chisholms (1979).
She had the leading role in
Filthy Rich (1982) and a starring role in HBO's first
weekly series
1st & Ten (1984).
Through her own production company, Perseverance, Inc., Delta produced
and starred in the ABC television series
Delta (1992). She actually sang in
the series and dyed her dark hair blonde for the role. She was reunited
with
Designing Women (1986) creator
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason when she starred in and produced
Women of the House (1995),
in which she reprised her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker.
Much of Delta's time now is spent designing clothing and managing her
New York company, Delta Burke Design, which is becoming very
successful. She is married to actor
Gerald McRaney. They live in New Orleans
when not working or traveling.