Kim Delaney was born November 29, 1959 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She began modeling when she was in high school and was a much sought-after teen model. She moved to New York City after graduation and studied acting with William Esper. Her first television role came in 1970, as Jenny Gardner on All My Children. Delaney came to prominence when she was cast as Detective Diane Russell on NYPD Blue, for which she won the 1997 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Claudia Joy Holden, played by Kim Delaney on Army Wives, is the poster model of the military wife. She is strong, svelte, smart, sophisticated and a natural leader. Married to Colonel Michael Holden, one of the highest-ranking men on the post, she effectively manages the concerns of her fellow army wives as well as the growing pains of her own daughters. She is a staunch fighter for justice, which often ruffles the feathers of those around her and tends to put her husband’s career in hot water.


(Photo courtesy of Lifetime)