Dana Delany Actress

After several years in the business, American actress Dana Delany earned her first real recognition for an award-winning turn on China Beach. Since, she has appeared in successful films such as Tombstone and Fly Away Home. More recently, she also landed a popular role on the television program Desperate Housewives.

Dana Welles Delany was born March 13, 1956 in New York City, New York. She was subsequently raised in Stamford, Connecticut. She obtained her initial education from Phillips Academy located in Andover, Massachusetts followed by Wesleyan University.

She made her onscreen debut in 1979 with a recurring role on Love of Life. She was with the program until 1980.

Always tenacious, Delany immediately began appearing in a slew of films and television programs. None of these proved successful vehicles for her career, however, until her 1988 debut on China Beach.

Playing Nurse Colleen McMurphy, she was with the successful series until 1991. During this time, she shared the screen with Marg Helgenberger, Adam Arkin, Michael Boatman, and others. For her efforts, Delany walked away with two Emmy wins and another two Emmy nominations.

Thrust into the limelight by the popularity of the series, Delany found herself a household name. And she quickly translated that notoriety into a lucrative film career.

Her first big hit was a role in 1993’s western drama Tombstone. Filled with an all-star cast, she shared the screen with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Charlton Heston, and many others.

She is also noted for her role in the family film Fly Away Home, in which she appeared opposite leads Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin.

The same year, she lent her voice talents to the animated series Wing Commander Academy, although the series was pulled after only one season. Malcolm McDowell and Mark Hamill were fellow voice actors for the project.

Continuing her voice work, she spent 1996 through 1999 voicing Lois Lane in Superman. Tim Daly provided the dialogue for Clark Kent, while David Kaufman voiced James “Jimmy” Olsen.

Finding exposure with another television program, Delany starred in Pasadena along with Martin Donovan, Alison Lohman, and Balthazar Getty. Despite a favorable reception from the audiences and decent ratings, the series was pulled after one season.

More recently, she took the role of Ellie Cain on Kidnapped. She was with program throughout 2006.

In 2007, she joined the cast of the wildly successful program Desperate Housewives. Landing the role of Katherine Mayfair, she became the latest addition to Wisteria Lane along with the characters portrayed by Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria Parker, and others.

Outside of her onscreen work, Delany is also noted for her stage work, which includes the Broadway hit Translations as well as Dinner With Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, and others.

In her personal life, she has had rumored relationships with John Kerry, Treat Williams, James Woods, John Sacret Young, and Henry Czerny.