Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American film, stage, and television actress. Known especially for her two-time Emmy Award winning performance as Colleen McMurphy on the ABC television show China Beach (1988–91), and for her role as Katherine Mayfair on Desperate Housewives, Delany has been active in film, television, and stage since the late 1970s.

Dana Welles Delany was born on March 13, 1956, in New York City and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Dana knew early in life that she wanted to be an actress. Following graduation from Wesleyan University, this tall (5' 7") beauty moved to New York and developed her skills working in daytime television and theater. Dana starred in the Broadway show "A Life", and received critical acclaim in a number of off-Broadway productions as well. Her role in Nicholas Kazan's controversial "Bloodmoon" in New York led her to Hollywood. Dana acted in a number of TV series, working steadily until she would get her own starring vehicle. That happened in 1988, when Dana became identified with Army nurse Colleen McMurphy in ABC TV's critically-acclaimed series "China Beach" (1988), the role earning her 3 Emmy nominations and 2 Emmy Awards as Best Actress. Dana moved onto movies, and eventually started getting starring roles in films, such as in Exit to Eden (1994). With over a dozen TV and movie projects within the last few years, Dana is one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood.