Dale Dickey | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Dickey in 2018 | |
| Born | Diana Dale Dickey (1961-09-29)September 29, 1961 (age 64) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Tennessee |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
Diana Dale Dickey is an Americancharacter actor who has worked in theater, film, and television. She began her career on stage, performing in the 1989 Broadway version ofThe Merchant of Venice, before appearing in popular revivals ofA Streetcar Named Desire,Sweeney Todd and more off-Broadway and in regional theaters. She's the recipient of twoOvation Awards for her stage work in Los Angeles.[1]
Known as a "consummate character actor,"[2] Dickey made her screen debut in 1995. She won theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her breakthrough performance as Merab in the 2010 independent drama filmWinter's Bone. Over her career, she has appeared in more than 60 movies, most notablyChangeling (2008),Super 8 (2011),Iron Man 3 (2013),Regression (2015),Hell or High Water (2016),Leave No Trace (2018) andBloodline (2018). Her television credits including recurring roles onMy Name Is Earl (2005–09),Breaking Bad (2009),True Blood (2012–13),Justified (2014), andClaws (2017–22). She also was a regular cast member on the second season of the HBO comedy seriesVice Principals (2017), co-starred in the Netflix miniseriesUnbelievable (2019), and featured in Amazon's 2022 comedy-series reboot ofA League of Their Own.
Dickey received widespread acclaim from critics for her lead performance in the 2022 romantic drama filmA Love Song, for which she received theChlotrudis Award for Best Actress and was nominated for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance and theGotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance.
Diana Dale Dickey was born inKnoxville, Tennessee, and attendedBearden High School.[3] She played several roles in high school productions, notably as Emily inOur Town. She later attended theUniversity of Tennessee from 1979 to 1984, but left to pursue her acting career. On December 10, 2015, she returned to the University of Tennessee as a guest speaker, where she gave the commencement speech to Fall graduates, and was awarded an honorary Master of Fine Arts degree from the university.[4]
Dickey has been working as a character actress in both mainstream and independent films since the 1990s.[3] She made her television debut playing the recurring role of Opal McHone in CBS historical dramaChristy from 1994 to 1995. The following year, she made her big screen debut in the comedy-drama filmThe Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. She later had supporting parts in the made-for-television moviesCagney & Lacey: Together Again (1995),Prison of Secrets (1997) andChristy: Return to Cutter Gap (2000). She played Glyndora Roberts in the 2000 independent comedy film,Sordid Lives, and later returned to the role in the Logo sitcomSordid Lives: The Series (2008). She returned to the franchise in 2017, playing a different role inA Very Sordid Wedding (replacingBeth Grant as Sissy Hickey).[5] Her other 2000s film credits includeThe Pledge (2001),Our Very Own (2005), andChangeling (2008).
Dickey guest-starred in a number of television series, includingThe X-Files,Frasier,CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,Gilmore Girls,The Closer andUgly Betty. From 2005 to 2009, she had a recurring role as Patty the Daytime Hooker in the NBC comedy series,My Name Is Earl. In 2009, she had a recurring role in the AMC drama series,Breaking Bad. Dickey also performed in various stage productions, include the Broadway production ofThe Merchant of Venice (1989) and in the 2009 stage adaptation ofA Streetcar Named Desire and many other off-Broadway and regional theatres receiving twoOvation Awards.[1]
Dickey received critical praise for her performance as Merab in 2010 independent drama filmWinter's Bone oppositeJennifer Lawrence,[3] winning theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in February 2011.[6] From 2012 to 2013, she played the role of Martha Bozeman in thefifth andsixth seasons of the HBO seriesTrue Blood.[7] AfterWinter's Bone, Dickey appeared in the science fiction filmSuper 8 (2011) directed byJ. J. Abrams, and the superhero filmIron Man 3, directed byShane Black in 2013.[8] She also was cast inBonnie and Clyde: Dead and Alive miniseries in 2013.[9] In 2014, she had a recurring role in theFX seriesJustified.[10] In 2015, Dickey portrayed Rose Gray in the Spanish-American thriller filmRegression, in which she co-stars withEthan Hawke andEmma Watson.[11]
Dickey had a recurring role of Juanda Husser in the TNT comedy-drama series,Claws from 2017 to 2022. In 2017, she starred in the second season of HBO dark comedyVice Principals and in 2019 appeared in the Netflix miniseriesUnbelievable. In 2022, she had a recurring role in the Amazon seriesA League of Their Own. She appeared in the filmsHell or High Water (2016),Leave No Trace (2018),Bloodline (2018) andFlag Day (2021).
In 2022, Dickey played the leading role in the drama filmA Love Song. The performance received positive reviews from critics, notably from theLos Angeles Times andRolling Stone.[12][13][14] The film marks the first leading role in her career. In her interview forIndieWire, Dickey said: "I fell between the cracks. I was not pretty enough in this category to be the leading lady and I wasn't quirky or odd enough in this category to be the only character actress". "Even in college, I tended to play everybody under 12 or over fifty. I think you finally grow into your age range and, sure enough, when I started getting into my mid-forties is when I started working more. I slowly built a career, but it was difficult."[15] She receivedIndependent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance andGotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance nominations for her role.[16][17] Also that year, she played another leading role in the Irish drama filmThe Cry of Granuaile.[18] In 2023, Dickey was cast in the Paramount+ western seriesLawmen: Bass Reeves and Amazon seriesFallout.[19] Also that year, Dickey played the leading role in the crime thriller filmThe G written and directed byKarl R. Hearne.[20][21]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–1995 | Christy | Opal McHone | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Cagney & Lacey: Together Again | Gloria | TV movie |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Rose Odalee Greenup | Episode: "The High Cost of Living" |
| Christy: The Movie | Opal McHone | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Christy, Choices of the Heart, Part II: A New Beginning | Opal McHone | TV miniseries; 2 episodes |
| The X-Files | Game Warden | Episode: "Existence" | |
| 2003 | Frasier | Mrs. Grant | Episode: "Some Assembly Required" |
| 2004 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Cassie | Episode: "Bad to the Bone" |
| ER | Mrs. Price | Episode: "Twas the Night" | |
| 2005 | Numb3rs | Karen | Episode: "Counterfeit Reality" |
| 2005–2009 | My Name Is Earl | Patty, the daytimehooker | 19 episodes |
| 2006 | Gilmore Girls | Ruthie | 2 episodes |
| Cold Case | Reba Dautry | Episode: "Joseph" | |
| The Closer | Anna Larson | Episode: "Out of Focus" | |
| 2007 | Shark | Nancy Padget | Episode: "Porn Free" |
| Ugly Betty | Sugar Free Shirley | Episode: "East Side Story" | |
| 2008 | Sordid Lives: The Series | Glyndora Roberts | Series regular, 6 episodes |
| 2009 | Princess Protection Program | Helen | TV movie |
| Breaking Bad | Spooge's "Skank" Lady | 2 episodes | |
| 2010 | All Signs of Death | Thea | TV Pilot |
| Bones | Marsha Vinton | Episode: "The X in the File" | |
| Criminal Minds | Carol | Episode: "Exit Wounds" | |
| Weeds | Sugarpop | Episode: "Gentle Puppies" | |
| 2011 | 2 Broke Girls | Elena | Episode: "And the Pop-Up Sale" |
| 2012–2013 | Raising Hope | Patty | 2 episodes |
| True Blood | Martha Bozeman | 12 episodes | |
| 2013 | Grey's Anatomy | Gasoline | Episode: "Things We Said Today" |
| Southland | Maureen | Episode: "Heroes" | |
| Last Man Standing | Doris | Episode: "Shoveling Snow" | |
| Bonnie and Clyde: Dead and Alive | Cummie Barrow | TV miniseries; 2 episodes | |
| 2014 | Justified | Judith | 4 episodes |
| The Middle | Sandy | Episode: "Orlando" | |
| Dinner with Friends with Brett Gelman and Friends | Herself | TV special | |
| Sons of Anarchy | Renee O'Leary Egan | Episode: "The Separation of Crows" | |
| 2015 | Backstrom | Judge Nunn | Episode: "Rock Bottom" |
| Documentary Now! | Joelle Fellweather | Episode: "The Eye Doesn't Lie" | |
| 2016 | Better Things | Jace | Episode: "Sam/Pilot" |
| 2017 | Red Blooded | Bo | TV pilot |
| Vice Principals | Nash | Series regular, 9 episodes | |
| Shameless | Aunt Ronnie | Episode: "Fuck Paying It Forward" | |
| 2017–2022 | Claws | Juanda Husser | 11 episodes |
| 2018 | Into the Dark | Red | Episode: "Pooka!" |
| 2019 | Unbelievable | RoseMarie | Miniseries, 6 episodes |
| Why Women Kill | Ruby Jenkins | Episode: "Practically Lethal in Every Way" | |
| Room 104 | Sharon | Episode: "Animal for Sale" | |
| 2021 | Them | The Woman | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | A League of Their Own | Beverly | 8 episodes |
| Let the Right One In | Debra Harper | 2 episodes | |
| 2023 | The Mandalorian | Saifir | Episode: "Chapter 22 Guns For Hire" |
| Station 19 | June Hardy | Episode: "What Are You Willing to Lose" | |
| Lawmen: Bass Reeves | Widow Dolliver | 2 episodes | |
| 2023–present | Bookie | Wendy | Recurring role |
| 2024 | Fallout | Ma June | Episode: "The Target" |
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