达纳·德拉尼1956年生于纽约，成长在康涅狄格的斯坦福，她从小就知道自己的梦想是成为一名女演员。达纳·德拉尼大学一毕业就搬到纽约从电视界和戏剧界开始追寻她的梦想，她在百老汇出演戏剧《生活》，受到不错的评价。她在纽约出演尼古拉斯卡桑的《血月》颇受争议导致她前往好莱坞发展。达纳·德拉尼出演了许多的电视剧集，尽力展示了自己的才华。1988—1991年达纳·德拉尼参与了ABC电视台剧集《中国海滩》，并两度当选艾美奖最佳女主角。2007年她凭借在电视剧《绝望的主妇》中的出色表演再创事业高峰。
她从来都没有结过婚，更不用说有孩子了，她曾经在一个采访会上提到”我想我父母的离婚对我产生了很大的影响，并且我是在70年代成长的，婚姻在那时候对我来说并不重要，但是爱是非常重要的。”
从90年代中期开始，Delany和她的朋友Haron Monsky已经在“Scleroderma Research Foundation”这家公司中工作了。她和导演Bob Saget一起工作，Dana在电视剧For Hope (1996)中出演角色，那个角色的原型就是导演Bob Saget死于疾病的姐姐。
利用这个新来的声望，她在一些电影中出演了一些角色，例如 “Light Sleeper (1992）”、Housesitter (1992)”、“Tombstone (1993)”,和“Fly Away Home (1996)”，加上一些电视剧，如 “ Promise to Keep (1991) ”和“ Wild Palms (1993)”。她还扮演过一些颇具争议的角色，比如她在电视剧Choices of the Heart (1995）中扮演的角色Margaret Sanger ，在1994年在“ Exit to Eden ”中扮演的Mistress Lisa，还有在系列电视剧“Family Law (1999)”中扮演的拥有枪支的母亲（这个角色获得了Emmy的提名）。
从90年代中期起，她已经在万维网上“出席”了很多次，她参加过多个网上聊天的节目，这些节目提供各种各样的信息。她个人的网站开始于1996年，这个网站有一个专门为Dana戏迷设置的“guestbook”，来自世界各地的戏迷都可以在这里发表一切关于Dana的言论。她在1988年到1991年间在“china beach“中饰演Colleen McMurphy，就因为这部电视剧使媒体对这位女演员产生了强烈的兴趣。这个角色不仅使她得到了两项Emmy Awards奖项，同时也得到了两项Em
my和两项金球奖的提名。
在90年代的末期和20世纪末，她集中精力在系列电影的角色上，就好像 short-lived Pasadena (2001)，Presidio Med (2002)，还有一些电影，就好像“True Women (1997)”，"Resurrection (1999)"A Time to Remember (2003),Baby for Sale (2004) 等，并包括 indie film公司出品的电影，好像The Outfitters (1999), Mother Ghost (2002), and Spin (2003)等。
2011年《人物》评选“2011年世界最美丽的人”达纳-德拉尼被评为第九名，远远高出曾与她同为《绝望的主妇》的主演——只有36岁的伊娃·朗格利亚。达纳-德拉尼认为美丽是一种源自自身的态度以及一些好的习惯，55岁的达纳在饮食上非常节制，她坚持只吃蔬菜和鱼肉，每周做五次瑜伽，她自称自己是达纳·德拉尼
享乐主义者，所以她最大的弱点是偏好美酒。长期坚持换来的是什么结果呢？达纳说道：“我只知道我在《逝者之证》(Body of Proof)中饰演的角色设置的年龄是35岁。 ”
达纳有一个家族生意，名叫Coyne & Delany，始创于1879年，主要是生产铅制的沐浴器，浴缸，后来他们转移方向，发展生产自动冲洗的马桶和尿壶。标有“Delany Flush Valves”生产标志的产品能经常在洗手间看到。Dana曾经在工厂工作了一个夏天，但是着并不代表她要继承家族事业。
达纳曾经说过“我的爷爷说过”这对你们来说可能只是排泄物，但是对我们来说确是面包和黄油！
.
时间
| 电影/电视剧/配音
| 扮演角色
|
1974
| South Pacific
| Nellie Forbush
|
1978
| Ryan's Hope
| Ryan's bar patron
|
1979
| Love of Life
| Amy Russell
|
1980
| A Life
| |
1981
| The Fan
| Saleswoman in record store
|
As the World Turns
| Hayley Wilson Hollister
|
1983
| Wisk detergent
| Lady in an elevator
|
Blood Moon
| Innocent pre-med student
|
1984
| Almost You
| Susan McCall
|
Threesome
| Laura Shaper
|
The Streets
| Jeannie
|
1985
| Moonlighting
| Jillian Armstrong
|
Magnum, P.I.
| Cynthia Farrell
|
1986
| A Winner Never Quits
| Nora
|
Where the River Runs Black
| Sister Ana
|
Liberty
| Moya Trevor
|
1987
| |
align="left" valign="center">Sweet Surrender
Georgia Holden
|
1988
| Patty Hearst
| Gelina
|
Masquerade
| Anne Briscoe
|
Moon over Parador
| Jenny
|
thirtysomething
| Eve
|
中国海滩
| Colleen McMurphy
|
1990
| A Promise to Keep
| Jane Goodrich
|
The Earth Day Special
| Doctor
|
1992
| Light Sleeper
| Marianne
|
Housesitter
| Becky Metcalf
|
Cheers
| Susan Metheny
|
1993
| Wild Palms
| Grace Wyckoff
|
Donato and Daughter
| Lieutenant Dena Donato
|
Tombstone
| Josephine Marcus
|
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
| Andrea Beaumont
|
1994
| The Enemy Within
| Betsy Corcoran
|
Exit to Eden
| Lisa Emerson
|
Texan
| Anne Williams
|
1995
| Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story
| Margaret Sanger
|
Live Nude Girls'
| Jill
|
Fallen Angels
| Helen Fiske
|
Translations
| Maire
|
1996
| Superman: The Animated Series
| Lois Lane
|
Fly Away Home
| Susan Barnes
|
The Adventures of Mowgli
| Bagheera
|
For Hope
| Hope Altman
|
Wing Commander Academy
| Gwen Archer Bowman
|
1997
| True Women
| Sarah Ashby McClure
|
Spy Game
| Honey Trapp
|
Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man
| Dr. Susan Fox
|
1998
| Wide Awake
| Mrs. Beal
|
The Curve
| Dr. Ashley
|
Rescuers: Stories of Courage — Two Couples
| Johtje Vos
|
The Patron Saint of Liars
| Rose Cleardon Abbott
|
The Batman/Superman Movie: World's Finest
| Lois Lane
|
Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu
| |
1999
| Outfitters
| Cat Bonfaim
|
Sirens
| Sally Rawlings
|
Resurrection
| Clare Miller
|
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
| Elaine Gunn
|
2000
| The Right Temptation
| Anthea Farrow-Smith
|
Dinner With Friends
| Beth
|
2001
| Final Jeopardy
| Alexandra Cooper
|
Family Law
| Mary Sullivan
|
Pasadena
| Catherine McAllister
|
2002
| Conviction
| Martha
|
Mother Ghost
| Karen Bennett
|
Superman: Shadow of Apokolips
| Lois Lane
|
Presidio Med
| Dr. Rae Brennan
|
2003
| Intimate Portrait: Dana Delany
| Herself
|
Justice League
| Lois Lane, Maggie Sawyer
|
Spin
| Margaret Swift-Bejarano
|
A Time to Remember
| Britt Calhoun
|
Much Ado About Nothing
| Beatrice
|
2004
| Baby for Sale
| Nathalie Johnson
|
法律与秩序：特殊受害者
| Carolyn Spencer
|
Justice League Unlimited
| Loana, Lois Lane
|
波士顿法律
| Samantha Fleming
|
2005
| Related
| Francesca Sorelli
|
Getting to Know You
| Marla
|
Kojak
| Kate McNeil
|
2006
| Battlestar Galactica
| Sesha Abinell
|
Superman: Brainiac Attacks
| Lois Lane
|
The Woman with the Hungry Eyes
| Theda Bara
|
Kidnapped
| Ellie Cain
|
拉字至上
| Senator Barbara Grisham
|
Vietnam Nurses with Dana Delany
| Host
|
2007
| Drunkboat
| Eileen
|
The Batman
| Lois Lane
|
Life on the Refrigerator Door
| Narrator
|
2007–2010, 2012
| 绝望的主妇
| Katherine Mayfair
|
2008
| Route 30
| Amish Martha
|
Flying Lessons
| Jeanne
|
2009
| Multiple Sarcasms
| Annie
|
A Beautiful Life
| Anne
|
Camp Hope
| Patricia
|
PoliWood
| Herself
|
Annul Victory
| Herself
|
2010
| 灵书妙探
| Agent Jordan Shaw
|
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
| Vilsi Vaylar
|
Firebreather
| Margaret Rosenblatt
|
2011–2013
| 逝者之证
| Dr. Megan Hunt
|
.
德拉尼 在 1989 获艾美奖Emmy Awards, holding the award she won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Year
| Result
| Award
| Category
| Film or series
|
1989
| Won
| Emmy
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
| China Beach
|
1990
| Nominated
| Emmy
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
| China Beach
|
1991
| Nominated
| Emmy
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
| China Beach
|
1992
| Won
| Emmy
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
| China Beach
|
2001
| Nominated
| Emmy
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
| Family Law
|
1990
| Nominated
| Golden Globe
| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-series drama
| China Beach
|
1991
| Nominated
| Golden Globe
| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-series drama
| China Beach
|
1989
| Won
| Q
| Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series
| China Beach
|
1990
| Won
| Q
| Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series
| China Beach
|
1991
| Won
| Q
| Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series
| China Beach
|
2009
| Won
| Prism
| Best Performance in a Comedy Series
| Desperate Housewives
|
2008
| Nominated
| Screen Actors Guild
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
| Desperate Housewives
|
2009
| Nominated
| Screen Actors Guild
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
| Desperate Housewives
|
1998
| Won
| Lone Star Film & Television
| Best TV Actress
| True Women
|
2007
| Nominated
| TV Land Award
| Lady you love to watch fight for her life in a movie of the week
| Movie of the week
|
