Happy Birthday To Delta Burke —The 'Designing Women' Star Turns 65 Today

Jul 30, 2021 by apost team

While youngsters might have no idea who Delta Burke is, for those of us who grew up during the 1980s and ‘90s, the “Designing Women” actress is an icon of that era. But how time flies! If you can believe it, Burke turns 65 years old on July 30, meaning that it’s been 35 years since Suzanne Sugarbaker’s debut. 

Burke was born in Orlando, Florida on July 30, 1956. She was adopted by Frederick Burke when her until-then single mom, Jean, married. In her final year of high school, when she was just 18 years old, Burke won the title of Miss Florida in 1974, making her the youngest Miss Florida titleholder in the history of the pageant. 

The win cemented her love for being on stage and opened up a whole new world of opportunities. She even won a talent scholarship from the Miss America organization, which then allowed her to study for two years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. 

Burke’s real breakthrough came when she played Kathleen Beck in the series "Filthy Rich" in 1982. But it was her role in “Designing Women” that really propelled her to stardom. The creator of "Designing Women" was the same woman who cast Burke in "Filthy Rich" — Linda Bloodworth-Thomason — so the connection certainly proved fruitful for Burke. According to IMDb, the show ran from 1986 to 1991 and became one of the highest-rated television shows in the United States. It was even nominated for two Golden Globes. Burke herself was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker.

For Burke’s birthday, we’ll take a look back at her dazzling TV career and triumphant weight loss success.

As Suzanne Sugarbaker, Burke played one of four women who were running an interior design firm with their handyman in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1980s. Much of Burke's pageant experience played into her character on the show. Suzanne Sugarbaker was the younger sister and former Miss Georgia World, allowing Burke to bring comedy to the trope of pageant women being self-centered.

Burke’s other television appearances include roles on “DAG,” “Women of the House,” “Delta” and “Filthy Rich.”

But as of late, Burke has used her fame and celebrity to speak out regarding health, fitness and weight loss.

Since she leaped to 215 pounds during the filming of “Designing Women” Burke’s weight became a topic that was often discussed in the press. The unwanted attention did little to help her depression and eating disorders. Doctors diagnosed Burke with Type 2 diabetes in the 2000s.

According to Mayo Clinic, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition and is known for being something that becomes prevalent in adults. With Type 2, it is not that the body initially does not produce insulin, but that it does not respond to it. This can cause a decrease in insulin production later in someone's life with the disease.

Burke lost a lot of her excess weight thanks to medical advice, and she began a Broadway career, debuting in “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” The health scare made her reassess her life. "My doctor told me I would end up on insulin if I didn't get my blood glucose under control. That scared me enough to take action," she told EatingWell in 2018.

"I've bounced back from it all."

"The whole point is to encourage people to start talking. You have to learn about whatever is going on with you," she said.

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Burke also talked about the importance of finding a doctor you can really rely on. She said:

"I was on the road a lot. I was tired. My body didn't feel right. I knew something was wrong, but nobody could tell me what...then one doctor did the right tests and told me I had diabetes." This diagnosis was able to change her life because she was finally able to take action and take care of her body. 

After feeling empowered by her doctor, Delta decided to take matters into her own hands by developing new habits and finding a new routine. 

Throughout all these years, Burke has had unconditional love and support from her husband and fellow actor, Gerald McRaney. McRaney is also an actor and is known for his work in series such as “House of Cards” and “Promised Land.” The couple married in May 1989. In an interview with People in 2017, Burke talked about how the two got started with their relationship:

“He asked me to marry him on the second date, so we were pretty committed!”

In the same interview, husband McRaney admitted, “I wasn’t going to let her get away. I already had competition. There were people asking her out on dates, and I was going to move in right away.”

And it’s not difficult to see why, given Burke’s award-winning, successful career and commitment to healthy living. Although Burke doesn’t have any projects on her horizon, we look forward to following her health and wellness journey in her 65th year!

Happy Birthday, Delta Burke! What’s your favorite Delta Burke role? Let us know — and celebrate alongside this star by passing this article on.