Kim Delaney (born November 29, 1961)
[29/11/1961 New York Times bio of Kim Delaney; accessed 2008-06-21][TELEVISION/RADIO; Another Series Sees What It Needs in Kim Delaney; New York Times; Published: September 22, 2002; accessed 2008-06-21] is an
American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Detective Diane Russell on the
ABC drama
N.Y.P.D. Blue.
[www.askmen.com/women/actress_150/181_kim_delaney.html][www.platinum-celebs.com/actresses/kim-delaney/][www.celebritygenius.com/Kim-Delaney/] Early in her career, she endeared herself to daytime television viewers as
Jenny Gardner, a hugely popular character on the ABC daytime drama
All My Children, and the role which first brought her fame. After
All My Children, Delaney appeared in numerous television and film roles, including the sole female lead in the dramatic series
Philly. She currently stars on the
Lifetime television drama
Army Wives.
Biography
Early life
Delaney, an
Irish American, was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joan and Jack Delaney.
[KIM DELANEY | NYPD Blue | Cover Story | News + Notes | Entertainment Weekly] Delaney's mother was a homemaker and her father a
union official and former head of the
United Auto Workers.
[TELEVISION/RADIO; Another Series Sees What It Needs in Kim Delaney - New York Times][Kim Delaney Biography - Yahoo! Movies] She grew up in
Roxborough and has four brothers: Ed, John, Keith, and Patrick. While she was attending
J. W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School, she worked as a model for the
Elite agency. After her graduation, she went to New York and found employment there as a model. At the same time, she studied acting with William Esper.
Career
Delaney first became known for her stint as innocent teenager
Jenny Gardner Nelson on the
soap opera All My Children, a character she portrayed from August 1981 to August 1984 that earned her a
Daytime Emmy Award nomination. After leaving the show, Delaney began acting in feature films. In 1985, she appeared with
Emilio Estevez in
That Was Then, This is Now. In 1986, she played a young nun in the military action movie
The Delta Force, starring
Chuck Norris.