Kim Delaney
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Kim Delaney (born November 29, 1961) is an American actress known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...
'', for which she won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
. Early in her career, she played the role of Jenny Gardner in the ABC daytime television drama ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...
''. She later had leading roles in the short lived TV drama ''
Philly Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
'', part of the first season of '' CSI: Miami'', and the first six seasons of ''
Army Wives ''Army Wives'' is an American drama television series that followed the lives of four army wives, one army husband, and their families. The series premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007, and ran for seven seasons, ending on June 9, 2013. The sh ...
''. She also appeared in the second and third seasons as reporter Alex Devlin in ''
Tour of Duty For military personnel, a tour of duty is usually a period of time spent in combat or in a hostile environment. In an army, for instance, soldiers on active duty serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment. ...
''.


Early life

Delaney, an
Irish American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...
, was born in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, to Joan and Jack Delaney, the only daughter of five children. Delaney's mother was a
homemaker Homemaking is mainly an American English, American and Canadian English, Canadian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, housewifery or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational ...
and her father a senior union official in the
United Auto Workers The United Auto Workers (UAW), fully named International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and sou ...
. She was raised
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
. Delaney has 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 In political and sociological theory, the elite (, from , to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful or wealthy people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. Defined by the ...
agency. Upon 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 A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...
'', which also was her first job. She played the character from August 1981 to August 1984, earning a 1983
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...
nomination, as well as a loyal fan base; a profile of the actress a decade later noted,
"Delaney left the soap in 1984, but fans still remember her as Jenny. 'They come up and will say they've followed everything I've done, and they stopped watching the show after I left, and they're so happy to see me on ''NYPD Blue'', because they love the character.'"David Brian Walton. "Blue streak", ''Kokomo Tribune'', January 29, 1996, page A5.
After leaving ''All My Children'', Delaney began acting in
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
s. In 1985, she appeared with
Emilio Estevez Emilio Estevez (; born May 12, 1962) is an American actor and filmmaker. The son of actor Martin Sheen and the older brother of Charlie Sheen, he made his film debut with an uncredited role in '' Badlands'' (1973). He later received his first ...
in '' That Was Then... This Is Now'', a film version of the S. E. Hinton novel of the same name. In 1986, she played a young
nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...
in the military action movie '' The Delta Force'', starring
Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...
. In 1987, Delaney was cast as Amanda Jones in '' Some Kind of Wonderful'' opposite Peter Gallagher, but new director
Howard Deutch Howard Roy Deutch (born September 14, 1950) is an American film and television director who worked with filmmaker John Hughes, directing two of Hughes's best-known screenplays, '' Pretty in Pink'' and '' Some Kind of Wonderful''. Since 2011, he h ...
recast both roles with his future wife Lea Thompson and Craig Sheffer before filming. Also in 1987, she appeared both as Jessie in '' Christmas Comes to Willow Creek'', and as associate attorney Leslie Kleinberg during the 2nd season of ''
L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher for NBC. It ran for eight seasons and List of L.A. Law episodes, 172 episodes from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. The series cente ...
''. In 1988, Delaney starred in the thriller '' The Drifter''. In 1994, she appeared in the film ''The Force''. In 1988, Delaney became a regular on the CBS television series ''
Tour of Duty For military personnel, a tour of duty is usually a period of time spent in combat or in a hostile environment. In an army, for instance, soldiers on active duty serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment. ...
''. After leaving the show in 1989 to give birth to her son with husband Joseph Cortese, her character was killed in an explosion—just as her ''All My Children'' character had died five years earlier. In the years immediately following her departure from her two early television series, her film and TV roles tended to be few and of low quality, in the opinion of both the critics and the actress herself. A 1996 profile article in ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'', on the occasion of her landing a prestigious television role at the end of this period, noted:
"Delaney's
résumé A résumé or resume (or alternatively resumé), is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often are used to secure new jobs, wh ...
is spotted with ridiculous roles that range from a nun in the
Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...
action movie, '' The Delta Force'', to a possessed nymphomaniac in the soft-core
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
, ''Temptress''. 'There's a lot of things I did to pay the mortgage,' Delaney says resignedly."
Roles from this period include her 1992 appearance as Lucky Santangelo in the television
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
, '' Lady Boss''. In 1995, Delaney began portraying ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...
'' Detective Diane Russell. Originally slated for only four episodes, the role became permanent after her character's relationship with Detective
Bobby Simone Detective Robert "Bobby" Simone is a fictional character in the American television series ''NYPD Blue''. Played by Jimmy Smits for four seasons, Simone is known for his sensitivity and street smarts, as well as his friendship with his detective ...
( Jimmy Smits) became a hit with viewers. In this role, she was nominated three times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, winning at the 1997 Emmy Awards. In 2001, ''NYPD Blue'' producer Steven Bochco chose Delaney for the lead in the new television series ''
Philly Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
'' and she was written out of ''NYPD Blue''. Despite critical acclaim, the show lasted only one season. In 2002, Delaney was the female lead on the new CBS drama series '' CSI: Miami'', a spin-off of sorts from the hit '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. She was written off the series after just 10 episodes; ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' suggested that it had been due to a lack of chemistry between Delaney and star
David Caruso David Stephen Caruso (born January 7, 1956) is a retired American actor and producer, best known for his roles as Detective John Kelly on the ABC crime drama ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–1994) and Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the CBS series '' CSI: ...
. After briefly returning in 5 episodes of ''NYPD Blue'' (one at the end of season 10 and a four-episode story arc mid-way through Season 11), Delaney starred in the 2004 NBC miniseries '' 10.5'', and its 2006 sequel, '' 10.5: Apocalypse''. The following year, she began a recurring role on '' The O.C.'' In 2006, Delaney starred in an episode of '' Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King'' titled " You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," about
Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
. Delaney next appeared twice on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' in early 2007, guest-starring on the episodes "
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
" and "
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
". Delaney played the main role of Claudia Joy Holden on the
Lifetime Television Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. It features programming that is geared toward ...
series ''
Army Wives ''Army Wives'' is an American drama television series that followed the lives of four army wives, one army husband, and their families. The series premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007, and ran for seven seasons, ending on June 9, 2013. The sh ...
''. In November 2012, a few weeks after the end of season six, it was announced that Delaney would not be returning for the show's seventh season, with a short storyline that her character had died. In early 2016, Delaney was cast in '' God Bless the Broken Road'', a feature film based on the song of the same name. It was released in the United States on September 7, 2018. In September 2020, Delaney joined the cast of ''
General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
'' in the role of Jackie Templeton; she made her first appearance on October 6.


Personal life

Delaney has been married three times and divorced twice. She married actor
Charles Grant Charles or Charlie Grant may refer to: Arts and entertainment * C.J. Grant (Charles Jameson Grant, ), American editorial cartoonist * Charles L. Grant (1942–2006), American novelist * Charles Grant (actor) (born 1957), American actor * Charles G ...
, also known as Charles Flohe, on July 22, 1984. She was married to actor Joseph Cortese from 1989 to 1994. They have a son named Jack, born circa 1990. She was engaged for a time to producer Alan Barnette. She married James Morgan on October 11, 2022. Like her character in her breakout role on the television series ''NYPD Blue'', Delaney has struggled with
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
. In 2002, Delaney was arrested in
Malibu, California Malibu ( ; ; ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, about west of downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate, its strip of beaches stretching along the Pacific Ocean coa ...
, for suspicion of
drunk driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is in ...
after she refused to take a
breathalyzer A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of ''breath'' and ''analyzer/analyser''), also called an alcohol meter, is a device for measuring breath alcohol (drug), alcohol content (BrAC). It is commonly utilized by law enforcement officers ...
test. She subsequently pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two years'
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
, fined, and ordered to take a defensive driving course. In 2003, after being dropped from the cast of '' CSI: Miami'', Delaney checked herself into an alcohol rehab center. In 2005, she lost custody of her then 15-year-old son after endangering his life by forcing him to ride with her when she drove while intoxicated, which her son testified was not the first such incident. In 2011, Delaney was pulled from the stage before finishing a long, slurred, odd speech at an award ceremony recognizing the work of former
United States Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (acronym: SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the United States federal executive departments, executive department of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, a ...
Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and retained b ...
. In March 2025, Delaney was arrested and charged with felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury, following a domestic dispute with her husband, James Morgan. Morgan was also arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence.


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Delaney, Kim 1961 births Living people American film actresses American soap opera actresses American television actresses American people of Irish descent Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Actresses from Philadelphia 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses