Kathryn Joosten: Emmy-Winning Actress of Desperate Housewives Dies at 72

Kathryn Joosten was an American actress. Born Kathryn Rausch on December 20, 1939, in Chicago, she worked as a psychiatric nurse before acting.

She began acting in community theater at age 42. She played Delores Landingham on The West Wing and Karen McCluskey on Desperate Housewives, winning two Primetime Emmy Awards.

She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001 and later quit a 45-year smoking habit. Joosten died of a recurrence of lung cancer in Westlake Village, California, on June 2, 2012, at age 72.

Achievements: Two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Birth: December 20, 1939 - Chicago, Illinois.

Profession: Actress.

Interesting Facts: She was a late bloomer who started acting at 42.