Delta Burke

Delta Burke
Burke at the 1990 Emmy Awards
Born	Delta Ramona Leah Burke (1956-07-30) July 30, 1956 (age 60) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress, producer, author
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Gerald McRaney (m. 1989)

Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30, 1956) is an American television, stage and film actress, producer and author. From 1986 to 1991, she starred as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women, for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Burke's other television credits include Filthy Rich (1982–83), Delta (1992–93), Women of the House (1995) and DAG (2000–01). She has produced and starred in made-for-TV movies, appeared in the film What Women Want (2000), and had a recurring guest role in the drama series Boston Legal (2006–07). She has also starred in the Broadway productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie (2003) and Steel Magnolias (2005).

Burke was born in Orlando, Florida, to a single mother, Jean. Frederick Burke, an Orlando realtor, adopted her after marrying her mother. She has never met her biological father. Burke has two younger siblings: a brother, Jonathan; and a sister, Jennifer.

Burke graduated from Colonial High School in 1974, and won the senior superlative "Most Likely to Succeed." 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 the Miss Florida title for 1974; she was the youngest Miss Florida titleholder in pageant history. She was subsequently paired with Miss Georgia, Gail Nelson, in the Miss America 1975 pageant. Burke won a talent scholarship from the Miss America Organization, allowing her to attend a two-year study program at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.