Tragic Details About The Cast Of Designing Women

You knew it was Monday night at 9:30 and that the TV was tuned to CBS when the horn-prominent "Designing Women" intro started, and the shot went from a home exterior to close-ups of framed photos of each of the show's female leads. "Designing Women," which aired for seven seasons from 1986 to 1993, followed the lives of four women working at an interior design firm based in Atlanta. The show, which was nominated for 18 Emmys, worked in large part because of the dynamic between the four stars, played by Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts, and Jean Smart, and their delivery man and later business partner, played by Meshach Taylor. There was laughter, tears, romance, and, most importantly, friendship. Some might argue that "Designing Women," with its all-female leads featuring successful working women, paved the way for shows such as "Sex and the City."

When the cameras cut, there were plenty of highs in the real-life careers and romances of these four dynamic women. But there have also been low points. Sadly, the cast of "Designing Women" has not been immune to tragedy, including death, bullying, and trauma.

Tennessee native Dixie Carter knew from a young age that she wanted to perform, so it was no surprise when she pursued an acting career that took her from the cabaret to the screen. Though she had bit parts in sitcoms in the '80s, it was her starring role as Julia Sugarbaker on "Designing Women" that established her career. She married actor Hal Holbrook in 1984, and he appeared on "Designing Women" as Sugarbaker's love interest. Though the Television Academy never awarded Carter with an Emmy for her role of dynamic leader Julia, she was finally acknowledged for her skills in 2007, when she received an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Gloria Hodge on "Desperate Housewives."

Just three years later, however, Carter died. She passed away in April 2010, at the age of 70, from endometrial cancer. She was survived by Holbrook, who passed away in 2021, and two daughters, Ginna and Mary Dixie, whom she shared with her a previous husband, investment banker Arthur Carter.

Like her co-star Dixie Carter, Delta Burke's career peaked with "Designing Women," on which she played Julia Sugarbaker's younger sister and former pageant queen, Suzanne. It was also during this era that she met Gerald McRaney, who was starring on "Simon & Simon" at the time but also made a guest appearance on "Designing Women." On their second date, in 1987, McRaney proposed. The two married in 1989 and remain together as of 2025.

Despite happy times, Burke eventually became miserable on the set of "Designing Women," as producers criticized her appearance. She garnered a reputation for being difficult to work with, and tabloids hounded her about her weight. She took diet pills and even tried losing weight by using crystal meth for three months, she confessed on the podcast "Glamorous Trash" in 2024. McRaney told People that it all became too much for her, and she left the sitcom in 1991. What has Burke been up to since her departure? She's done a bit of acting, but nothing that reached the success of her "Designing" fame.

Jean Smart may have hit it big as Charlene on "Designing Women" in the '80s, but it wasn't until she landed her role on "Hacks" that she was recognized with Emmys for acting abilities. She was awarded with the Lead Actress in a Comedy series trophy twice for her role as Deborah Vance in 2022 and 2024. However, she wasn't able to share the wins with the love of her life, fellow actor Richard Gilliland.

Tragedy struck for the Seattle native in 2021 when Gilliland, her husband of nearly 34 years, took ill. Smart thought he had COVID-19 at the time, but in fact, it was a heart condition, which ultimately killed the 71-year-old after a short illness. Smart admitted that it had taken years for her to come to terms with his passing. The couple met when he had a recurring guest role on "Designing Women" in 1986. However, his character wasn't Charlene's love interest; he was wooing Mary Jo, played by Annie Potts. The couple wed the following year at Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook's home. Among the tributes for the actor was one from Potts, who also appeared on the small screen with Gilliland in "Young Sheldon." In an Instagram farewell, Potts wrote, "Sweet Richard. You are missed already." And she asked him to greet their other cast mates who had passed away.

Compared to her "Designing Women" co-stars, Annie Potts has arguably had the most successful run in Hollywood (and the most stunning transformation). After her "Designing" years, she continued on to notable roles in the "Ghostbusters" and Toy Story" franchises, as the voice of Bo Peep, and as Meemaw on "Young Sheldon." 

But it was almost impossible for any of that to have ever occurred. In 1974, at the age of 21, Potts was in a car that was hit by a drunk driver. She said that her bones below the waist were nearly all shattered, which has taken decades to recover from and included a number of surgeries. She even revealed in an August 2024 Instagram post that Meemaw's limp is real and a result of the accident half a century before. Despite this continuing trial and the tragedies of her "Designing Women" costars, Potts continues to entertain and dazzle with her acting talent.