Delphi Irene Nikopoulos was born in Chicago to Greek immigrant parents, George and Nikolitsa. Due to a delayed christening, she was initially called "Bebecka" until the age of two, when she picked the name "Delphi" out of a hat to settle a family dispute.
Her father, George, arrived in the United States at 16 and built a successful career in real estate, co-founding Michigan Avenue Bank in Chicago. Her mother, Nikolitsa, was a talented cook, hostess, and letter writer.
Delphi met her husband, Norman Taylor Harrington, at Northwestern University, and they married in 1960. Norman was a professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature at Brooklyn College and a devoted father to their three children.
Classically trained, Delphi graduated from Northwestern Speech School, studying with Alvina Krause. She was mentored by Mary Morris, who saw her in "The Green Bird" and introduced her to Edith Skinner. Delphi's most inspiring teachers were Anna Helen Reuter and Uta Hagen.
Julius Monk discovered Delphi at the "Upstairs at the Downstairs" and put her in the "Plaza Nine" revues at the Plaza Hotel. She starred on Broadway in Neil Simon's "Chapter Two" and was nominated for a Drama League Award for her performance in "Blythe Spirit" at the Pearl Theater.
Delphi worked with Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, and other notable playwrights and actors, including Myra Carter, Marian Seldes, and Earle Hyman. She won the Weiss Award for her performance in "A Delicate Balance" and played "Gertrude" in Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead."
As a Shakespearean, Delphi played leading roles in productions of "Othello," "Lady Capulet," and "Heartbreak House." She also played "Lady Bracknell" in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "Desiree" in "A Little Night Music."
Delphi returned to cabaret at the Metropolitan Room and created an evening dedicated to Noël Coward and Flanders and Swann. She was a member of The Actor's Company Theater (TACT) for 20 years and Ensemble Studio Theater (EST).
Throughout her career, Delphi has been available to young playwrights and has done hundreds of readings.
