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Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30 1956 in Orlando, Florida) is an American television and film actress. She is probably best known for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the sitcom Designing Women. Prior to that, she first was noticed by many playing the role of Diane Barrow in the HBO original series 1st & Ten, about a woman owning a fictional pro football team (the California Bulls). Debuting in 1984, 1st & Ten was one of the very first group of made-for-cable original television shows.

Burke attended Colonial High School in Orlando, where she was voted "Most Likely to Succeed." [1] After graduation, she won the Miss Florida title for 1974. Burke was paired with Miss Georgia, Gail Nelson, in the Miss America pageant in 1974, and won a talent scholarship allowing her to attend a two-year study program at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She is also a very successful designer and manager of the clothing company Delta Burke Design in New York City. Delta has been married to actor Gerald McRaney since 1989.

Delta's best known role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in "Designing Women" (1986), was created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Before "Designing Women" (1986), she spent a year on "Filthy Rich" (1982) playing Kathleen Beck. Delta was cast in short-lived TV sitcoms including "Delta" (1992) and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason returned to cast her in "Women of the House" (1995), despite difficulties they had during the production of "Designing Women." Delta has been a leading actress in a number of television films and included is her supporting role with Mel Gibson in What Women Want (2000).

Ever since the early 1990s, Delta's weight has been a subject of discussion in the tabloid press. In reality, her struggles with weight, depression and eating disorders stretch back to her pageant days in the early 1970s. She became a much-parodied figure in the press due to her seesawing weight, including a skit on Saturday Night Live, wherein Leon Phelps from The Ladies Man has a sexual fixation on Burke, for reasons which were not explained. One popular theory is that he is a fat admirer of hers.

In the early 2000s, she co-starred with David Alan Grier on the sitcom DAG; she had lost much of her excess weight for the role after being diagnosed with diabetes. In 2005 she appeared on Broadway in the play "Steel Magnolias." She and her husband have homes in Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Selected Filmography

The Last Guy on Earth (2006) (post production)
Good Boy! (2003)
Going for Broke (2003)
Sordid Lives (2001)
What Women Want (2000)
Melanie Darrow (1997)
Women of the House (1995)
Delta (1992)
Designing Women (1986)
1st & Ten (1984)
Filthy Rich (1982)

Nonfiction

Delta Style: Eve Wasn't a Size 6 and Neither Am I (1998, St. Martin's Press ;ISBN 0312154542 )

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 Burke attended [[Colonial High School]] in Orlando, where she was voted "Most Likely to Succeed." [http://www.colonialhigh.ocps.net/alumni/1974.htm] After graduation, she won the Miss Florida title for [[1974]]. Burke was paired with Miss [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Gail Nelson]], in the [[Miss America]] pageant in [[1974]], and won a talent [[scholarship]] allowing her to attend a two-year study program at the [[London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art]].  She is also a very successful designer and manager of the clothing company ''Delta Burke Design'' in [[New York City]]. Delta has been married to actor [[Gerald McRaney]] since [[1989]].
-Delta's best known role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in "Designing Women" (1986), was created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Before "Designing Women" (1986), she spent a year on "Filthy Rich" (1982) playing Kathleen Beck. Delta was cast in short-lived TV sitcoms including "Delta" (1992) and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason returned to cast her in "Women of the House" (1995, despite difficulties they had during the production of "Designing Women." Delta has been a leading actress in a number of television films and included is her supporting role with Mel Gibson in What Women Want (2000).
+Delta's best known role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in "Designing Women" (1986), was created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Before "Designing Women" (1986), she spent a year on "Filthy Rich" (1982) playing Kathleen Beck. Delta was cast in short-lived TV sitcoms including "Delta" (1992) and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason returned to cast her in "Women of the House" (1995), despite difficulties they had during the production of "Designing Women." Delta has been a leading actress in a number of television films and included is her supporting role with Mel Gibson in What Women Want (2000).
 Ever since the early [[1990s]], Delta's weight has been a subject of discussion in the tabloid press. In reality, her struggles with weight, depression and eating disorders stretch back to her pageant days in the early [[1970s]]. She became a much-parodied figure in the press due to her seesawing weight, including a skit on  ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', wherein Leon Phelps from ''[[The Ladies Man]]'' has a sexual fixation on Burke, for reasons which were not explained.  One popular theory is that he is a [[fat admirer]] of hers.