Dana Delany, 1988 | Dana Delany, 2022 | Source: Twitter.com/DanaDelany | Getty Images
- Dana Delany once wanted to become a P.I. and later grew to love traveling, amongst many other things.
- The star opened up about how she ended up with a droopy eye.
- Acting was part of her calling, but she had fears to overcome to play one unique role.
Fans of Dana Delany know her as Colleen McMurphy from the show, "China Beach," but there's more the 67-year-old beauty has revealed about her life through the years.
For instance, the actress shared that as a child, she read many crime novels and wanted to be a private investigator. Her favorite television character was Honey West and she wanted to be her. She fulfilled that wish during Halloween when she channeled the character down to her mole.
Marg Helgenberger as K.C. Koloski, Dana Delany as Nurse Colleen McMurphy, Nan Woods as Cherry White, and Chloe Webb as Laurette Barber for the pilot of "China Beach," on April 26, 1988. | Source: Getty Images
Delaney has also opened up about her love for traveling and her favorite destination. She loves going to Europe and her favorite city, Paris. Delany has been to most of Southeast Asia. She also envisioned taking a year off and moving from place to place without an itinerary.
Below, are some unknown and personal facts about Delany, including why she never married and how her parents' divorce affected her.
Five Facts about Dana Delaney's Life
In February 2022, Delany uploaded a Twitter selfie where she was seen sporting a black eye. The star jokingly captioned the post, You should see the other guy."
In a follow-up tweet, the "Desperate Housewives" star thanked those who expressed concern and revealed she was actually recovering from a fall that landed her in the hospital. The actress decided to get herself checked recalling how Bob Saget experienced an "unwitnessed fall" and died from head trauma.
Delany and Saget once worked together in the 1996 drama, "For Hope," which Saget directed. The celebrity shared how she'd fallen head first down some iron stairs, and all she could think of was Saget before grabbing the handrail with her face. She feared a fracture, but luckily, that was not the case. She received the best treatment at St. John's Emergency and was only left with a bruised eye.
Dana Delaney in her Santa Monica home in 2013 | Source: Getty Images
This is not the first time Delany's eye required medical attention. In October 2010, the star revealed that she went for anti-wrinkle treatment seven years earlier and was advised by the dermatologist to try Botox. Sadly, the needle struck a nerve when the specialist injected her forehead, causing her right eye to droop slightly. The nerve had been dead since, and she still notices the slight droop on her face.
Dana Delany at the "Stillwater" New York Premiere on July 26, 2021, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Delany has been living in her Santa Monica, California home since 1999 when she reportedly purchased the property. In 2013, she appeared in the lounge of her home, revealing cozy couches, warm curtains, and light streaming through the windows. A portion of her home was also featured during her December 2022 interview with KTLA 5 Morning News, where she appeared from her living room during the online encounter.
Delany's $6 million property sits on 2,160 square feet and has three bedrooms and bathrooms. She once confessed her favorite thing was arriving home at night, pouring some wine, and watching TCM.
The star, who also keeps an apartment in Manhattan because she loves the "energy" the city holds, has been living alone, enjoying the ocean view from her bedroom window all to herself.
The Emmy Award winner played the role of Margaret, an equestrian, on "Tulsa King," which posed a challenge for her.
On why she never married, Delany cites her parents' divorce as a factor. Her parents divorced when she was sixteen, leading her to change her perspective about marriage. She confessed:
"It definitely changed me, it changed my perspective on things. It made me feel like marriage wasn’t that important. It took the pressure off.”
Besides wanting to become a P.I., Delany later found her calling as an actress. However, there were some roles that required her to get over past traumas she held in childhood.
Dana's Background in Acting
Delany was born in New York City on March 13, 1956. She was raised in Stamford, Connecticut, and knew early on that she wanted to be an actress.
Tim Ryan as pilot Natch Austin and Dana Delany as Nurse Colleen McMurphy in the pilot epiode of "China Beach" on April 26, 1988. | Source: Getty Images
One of Delany's more notable roles was as a Kansas army nurse who experienced the emotional and physical horrors of the Vietnam War in "China Beach." The actress admitted that among all the roles she's played, her role in the show was closest to who she was. T
Delaney revealed her father was a Navy veteran during World War II but he never spoke about it. She regretted that he had already passed away by the time she landed her role in "China Beach," and wished they could have shared experiences about the war through her involvement in the show.
Dana Delany at the TCM Classic Film Festival - Opening Night Gala and World Premiere of "Rio Bravo" on April 13, 2023, in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
A fan's comment about Dana Delany at the TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night on April 13, 2023, in Los Angeles, California | Source: YouTube/MaximoTV
On "Tulsa King," Delany played the role of Margaret, an equestrian. The Emmy Award winner admitted it posed as a challenge for her since a horse had rolled on her as a child, planting a fear of horses in her. To manage the role, her "China Beach" co-star, Chloe Webb, became her horse therapist, and she finally overcame her fear.
A fan's comment about Dana Delany, dated April 2023. | Source: YouTube/LRM Online
A fan's comment about Dana Delany, dated April 2023. | Source: YouTube/LRM Online
Now in her 60s, Delany remains beautiful as evident in her more recent public appearances. On March 26, 2022, the actress showed her humanitarian side when she featured in a star-studded telethon to raise money and awareness for those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. One fan noted how she was "still beautiful."
The same fan commented about the star being "always magically beautiful!" on a YouTube clip of the 67-year-old actress at the opening night of the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival. In a different video from the same appearance, someone else agreed, writing, "She's so beautiful."
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