What Happened to Annie Potts, Jean Smart and the Cast of ‘Designing Women’ Before and After the Show

Dixie Carter (Julia Sugarbaker)

She was born Dixie Virginia Carter on May 25, 1939, in McLemoresville, Tennessee. Her career began in 1960 when she appeared in a Memphis production of the musical Carousel, arriving on Broadway in 1974 in Sextet, another musical. That same year, she began a two-year stint on the daytime soap opera Edge of Night, and after the completion of her role there, she returned to Broadway in 1976 in Pal Joey. Her early TV series are On Our Own (1977 to 1978), Filthy Rich (1982 to 1983) and Diff’rent Strokes (1984 to 1985). Designing Women was next.

When the show completed its run, Dixie moved on to a number of TV movies, among them A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle, Kenny Rogers’ Gambler V: Playing for Keeps and Comfort and Joy (2003). Series wise, she was a regular on Betty White’s Ladies Man (1999 to 2000), Family Law (1999 to 2002) and had a recurring role in Desperate Housewives (playing Gloria Hodge for seven episodes between 2006 and 2007). Her last role was in the feature film, That Evening Sun.

Dixie was married three times: Arthur L. Carter from 1967 until their divorce in 1977, George Hearn from 1977 until their divorce in 1979, and actor Hal Holbrook in 1984, the two of them staying together until her death in 2010. She died on April 10 of that year as a result of complications from endometrial cancer, leaving behind two daughters.

Annie Potts (Mary Jo Shively)

Annie was born Anne Hampton Potts on October 28, 1952, in Nashville, Tennessee. She graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, with a bachelor in fine arts degree (emphasis on theater arts). When she was 21, she and her then-husband, Steven Hartley, were involved in a violent car accident that cost him his left leg and left Annie with several broken bones beneath her waist and compound fractures to both legs. Pushing forward, she made her debut on the big screen in the comedy Corvette Summer (1978), which was followed by Heartaches (1981), the original Ghostbusters (1984, playing office manager Janine Melnitz), Crimes of Passion (also 1984) and Pretty in Pink and Jumpin’ Jack Flash (both 1986). A number of other films followed, including voicing Bo Pepp in all four Toy Story films. She will be reprising the role of Janine Melnitz in 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

On television, she’s starred in a number of TV movies, and beyond Designing Women has starred in the series Goodtime Girls (1980), Love & War (1993 to 1995), Dangerous Minds (1996 to 1997), Over the Top (1997), Any Day Now (1998 to 2002), Huff (four episodes in 2004), Joan of Arcadia (11 episodes between 2004 and 2005), GCB (2012), The Fosters (11 episodes between 2013 and 2018) and is a regular on Young Sheldon, playing “Meemaw” (2017 and still going).

Annie and Steven Hartley were divorced in 1978. That same year she married Greg Antonacci, getting divorced from him in 1980 and then marrying James Hayman in 1990. She is the mother of three children.

Jean Smart (Charlene Frazier Stillfield)

Jean Elizabeth Smart was born on September 13, 1951, in Seattle, Washington. She discovered a love for acting while a student at Ballard High School in Seattle, which led to her enrolling at and graduating from the University of Washington’s Professional Actors Training Program. She got her start as a part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon and the Seattle Repertory Theater, starring in regional theater throughout the Pacific Northwest. A move to New York City followed in the 1970s, where she scored roles in professional regional and off-Broadway productions.  In 1980, for the Pittsburgh Public Theater, she played Lady Macbeth. The following year she starred in the Off-Broadway production of Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, which she followed with a turn on Broadway as Marlene Dietrich in Piaf. In the early ‘80s, she began making TV guest appearances and had a starring role on the series Teachers Only and Reggie in 1983. The movie Flashpoint followed in 1984.

Jean stayed with Designing Women for its first five seasons, after which she attempted to diversify the types of roles she played, frequently alternating comedic and more dramatic parts. Big screen credits include Mistress, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, The Brady Bunch Movie, The Odd Couple II, I Heart Huckabees, Hero: Wanted, The Accountant, Life Itself and the recently filmed Superintelligence.

Between 1987 and 2018, she starred in 15 TV movies (including 1992’s Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story), and, beyond making guest appearances on different shows, either starred or recurred on the following series: Scarlett (1994, three episodes), High Society (1995 to 1996), Style & Substance (1998), The District (14 episodes between 2000 and 2004), Frasier (seven episodes between 2000 and 2001), In-Laws (2002 to 2003), Center of the Universe (2004 to 2005), 24 (24 episodes between 2006 and 2007), Samantha Who? (2007 to 2009), Hawaii Five-0 (four episodes between 2010 and 2011), Sh*! My Dad Says (2011), Harry’s Law (2011 to 2012), Sirens (three episodes between 2014 and 2015), Fargo (2015), Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (2015 to 2016), Legion (2017 to 2019), Dirty John (five episodes between 2018 and 2019) and Watchmen (2019).

Jean married actor Richard Gilliland in 1987, and they’re the parents of two children. She’s won three Emmy Awards (two for her guest-starring role on Frasier and one for Samantha Who?) and two Critic’s Choice Television Awards (for Fargo and Watchmen).

Delta Burke (Suzanne Sugarbaker)

Delta Romona Leah Burke was born July 30, 1956, in Orlando, Florida. Voted Most Likely to Succeed at Colonial High School, in 1972, two years before graduation, she won the Miss Flame crown from the Orlando Fire Department and went on to become State Miss Flame. During her senior year of high school, she won the 1974 title of Miss Florida. Winning a talent scholarship from the Miss America Organization, she spent two years as a part of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Her first TV experience came in 1974 when, as part of winning Miss Florida, she spent six months as the magical assistant to Bozo the Clown, which was filmed in Orlando. From there, she starred in the Western miniseries The Chisholms and was a regular on Filthy Rich (1982 to 1983) and HBO’s 1^st & Ten, playing the female owner of a football team. In between, she guest-starred on a number of TV series. She was a part of Designing Women for five seasons but was let go from her contract due to growing acrimony between her, the show’s producers and costar Dixie Carter.

Following Designing Women, she made guest star appearances on TV shows, starred in a number of TV movies and starred in the series Delta, Women of the House (in which, after reconciling with producers, she reprised the role of Suzanne Sugarbaker), Touched by an Angel (three episodes between 1996 and 2001), Popular (six episodes between 1999 and 2001), DAG (2000 to 2001) and Boston Legal (five episodes between 2006 and 2007). In 2003, she made her Broadway debut in Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was followed in 2005 with Steel Magnolias. She’s been married to actor Gerald McRaney since 1989.

Meshach Taylor (Anthony Bouvier)

Born April 11, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, Meschach developed an interest in acting while attending Crispus Attucks High School. Upon graduating in 1964, he attended Wilmington College in Ohio and Florida A&M University as part of their dramatic arts programs. While he missed graduating from the latter by only a few credits, he began working as a State House reporter at WIFE, an AM radio station, under the name Bruce Thomas. Additionally, he hosted a community affairs program on TV station WLWI as Bruce Taylor.

He became a part of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre as well as the Organic Theater Company, performing as a part of repertory theater. Moving to Los Angeles in 1977, he scored roles in such films as Damien: Omen II (1978), The Howling (1981), Explorers (1985) and Mannequin (1987), and guest-starred on What’s Happening Now and The Golden Girls. A part of Designing Women for all of its seven seasons, he went from a recurring character to series regular and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Following the show, he appeared in a variety of films and was a series regular on Dave’s World (1993 to 1997) with a recurring role on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide (2004 to 2007) as Mr. Wright. His final role was Harrison Scott on two episodes of Criminal Minds between 2012 and 2014. He married Bianca Ferguson in 1983 and they had three children (Meshach had a fourth from a previous marriage). Unfortunately, he died on June 28, 2014, after a battle with colorectal cancer.

For a quick look at additional and recurring cast members, please scroll down. 

Julia Duffy

The actress, probably best known for her role as Stephanie Vanderkellen on Newhart (1983 to 1990), had also played Penny Davis from 1973 to 1978 on the daytime soap opera The Doctors. On season 6 of Designing Women, she played Julia and Suzanne’s cousin, Allison Sugarbaker, who becomes a partner. After the series she made a number of made-for-TV movies, guest starred on numerous shows and was a regular on The Mommies (1993 to 1995).

Jan Hooks

This alumni from Saturday Night Live pretty much shifted over from that show to Designing Women for its last two seasons from 1991 to 1993, where she played Carlene Frazier-Dobber. After the show concluded, she made a variety of guest appearances on different series, including 16 episodes of 3rd Rock from the Sun. Sadly, she died on October 9, 2014 at the age of 57 from throat cancer.

Judith Ivey

In the final season, Judith signed aboard as Texas millionairess Bonnie Jean “BJ Poteet, who becomes a new partner in the Sugarbaker firm. She’s an acclaimed actress from the stage (winning two Tony Awards), movies and television series.

Scott Bakula

Scott had the recurring role of Mary Jo’s gynecologist ex-husband Ted Shively. He is, of course, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Sam Beckett in the time travel drama Quantum Leap as well as Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise and Dwayne Pride on NCIS: New Orleans.

Douglas Barr

The former co-star of the Lee Majors series The Fall Guy recurred on Designing Women as Colonel William “Bill” Stillfield, Charlene’s husband in the U.S. Air Force.

Alice Ghostley

Best known for playing the eccentric and magical Esmeralda on Bewitched, was cast as Bernice Clifton, a family friend to the Sugarbakers. The actress passed away on September 21, 2007 following a series of strokes and a long battle with colon cancer.

Gerald McRaney

Not only is he married to Delta Burke, but Gerald played Suzanne’s first husband Dash Goff, who was both a novelist and a college professor. The actor is known for such series as Simon & Simon and Major Dad.

Hal Holbrook

This veteran star of stage, screen and television, portrayed Julia’s romantic interest on the show, Reese Walton. On Designing Women he was a successful attorney who was also widowed. The character was killed during the show’s fifth season so Hal could shift over to Burt Reynolds’ Evening Shade. Oh, and in case you missed it earlier, he also happened to have been married to Dixie Carter.