Underneath her signature brunette bob and sweet smile hides a smoldering sensuality that has inspired countless crushes. Yet this intelligent beauty has never become a full-fledged star. After appearing on stage and in soaps, Delany shot to fame and won two Emmys as a devoted but emotionally remote army nurse on
China Beach. In the '90s, she made a push for big-screen stardom, but was done in by duds and miscasting, particularly her infamous and incongruous turn as a dominatrix in the Razzie-nominated "comedy"
Exit to Eden. So she returned to her small-screen roots, headlining a slew of TV-movies and lending her youthful voice to a number of animated series. She also starred in several critically acclaimed but short-lived series (
Pasadena,
Wild Palms), invariably playing wives and mothers, although she has remained single in her personal life.
Dana Delany Fast Facts:
- Began career on the soaps Love of Life (1979-80) and As the World Turns (1981).
- Grandfather invented a toilet valve that's still in use.
- Began serving on the board of the Scleroderma Research Foundation after starring in the 1996 TV-movie For Hope as a woman afflicted with the disease.
- Voiced Superman's girlfriend Lois Lane on two different animated TV series: Superman and Justice League.
- Dana Delany Relationships:
- Jack Delany - Father
- John Sacret Young - Ex-significant Other
- Mary Delany - Mother
- Treat Williams - Ex-significant Other
- Dana Delany Awards:
- 1990 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 1991 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2001 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1989 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Winner
- 1990 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1991 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1992 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Winner
- College:
- Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (BA in Drama, 1978)