From Knoxville to Widow’s Bay

After 40 years in the acting world, alumna Dale Dickey is getting her moment in the spotlight with her first Emmy Award nomination, thanks to the hit Apple TV+ series Widow’s Bay.

Dickey found out about her Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy while scrolling through the list of nominees to see if her co-star Kate O’Flynn had been nominated.

“Much to my complete shock, I see the top of my head appearing as I was listed first, alphabetically,” Dickey says. “I literally yelled to my husband in the kitchen, ‘What the hell am I doing on this list?’”

Though her Widow’s Bay co-star eventually won the prize, Dickey says it was “a sweet feeling to know the academy recognized a handful of us older longtime character actors who had never been nominated.”

The juggernaut comedy–horror series picked up a record-breaking 14 Emmy Awards, thanks in part to Dickey’s performance as Rosemary. One of the season’s highlights is a masterful 10-minute monologue in episode nine, which Dickey says was possible only because of her theatre training, including her work at UT.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What was it like to be nominated for your first Emmy Award? Where were you when you found out?

The morning of the nominations on July 8, I was in my apartment and had planned to watch to nominations live on the local LA station at 8 a.m. as my friend and co-star Jeff Hiller was one of the actors making the announcements. And I felt sure many of our co-workers, cast, and crew would be nominated as Widow’s Bay had garnered a lot of love after its premiere in the spring. I just did not expect my nomination to be among them. The televised portion is only a partial list of total nominees, so I got on my computer to scroll through the entirety of the list. I got to the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy category and I scrolled down to see if my co-star Kate O’Flynn was on the list, which we all assumed she would be. Much to my complete shock, I see the top of my head appearing, as I was listed first alphabetically. I literally yelled to my husband in the kitchen, “What the hell? What am I doing on this list?!” I did use a much stronger expletive in the heat of the moment.

I remained in a state of shock for many many days. It is a tremendous honor, and I am most grateful, but it was just so totally not expected by anyone, especially me. I have been in the business almost 40 years, and awards have never been an expected part of my journey. But it was quite a sweet feeling to know the academy recognized a handful of us older longtime character actors who had never been nominated. It sounds trite, but for me the nomination alone was the win. And I will happily go to the party and celebrate everyone’s hard work. However, my face was still stuck in “shocked emoji” mode for many weeks after.

What was the experience like between the time you were nominated until the night of the awards?

The simple and quick answer to this question is that my life became an utterly crazed chaotic roller coaster circus ride—thrilling, stressful, emotional, exhausting. Constant PR for the show with unending interviews, panels, discussions, podcasts, TV shows, photo shoots, appearances, press junkets, parties, and more. Granted, it was much fun at times, but also a new and often uncomfortable place to be in. I got so tired of talking about myself in interviews. It was a relief when the whole cast and crew were together for publicity. Then I am surrounded by hugely witty and clever people, so I just let them do the talking!

What was your reaction to the outcome of the awards?

I never expected to win. I knew I wouldn’t win and I felt I shouldn’t—not for that specific role against these specific actresses. The award was Kate [O’Flynn]’s from the get-go, and I told interviewers early on that I expected to carry the train of her dress as she walked up the steps to receive her award. I could not have been more ecstatic for all my fellow Widow’s Bay peeps. It was so exciting to be there and watch one by one as the show swept up so many Emmys. The show had so much love from the room that night, and it is wonderful to be a part of something so many people have taken to and enjoy watching so much. I am proud to be a part of the magic and most grateful that I know I do have a job next year. It is a dream job, and I can’t wait to see what Rosemary is up to in season 2. Not praying for more genealogy scenes, however…

What did you learn at UT that helped you with this role or other roles?

My time at UT completely shaped who I am and what I chose to do with my life. And how I did it. I spent much of my childhood there, starting at age nine. And by the time I left to pursue a professional life in the theatre as an actress, I was 23 with countless hours spent onstage and off, working, learning, training, and honing my craft at UT’s phenomenal Department of Theatre and apprenticing with its Clarence Brown Company. Most of all, I had all those formative years to watch and observe all the other theatre students work. That’s where most of the learning is, I think. Letting those observations melt into your heart and soul and give you the tools needed to become an artist. I had countless mentors and role models who helped guide and shape me and inspire me. The love of the craft just seeped into my bones and has never left. I had a lot more schooling during my years in New York City and Los Angeles, but nothing compares to that early basic blueprint from UT that has carried me on my journeys.

How did you prepare for your long monologue in episode 9 of Widow’s Bay?

Learning that monologue was only doable by having my theatre background. Memorization had always come fairly easily, but that changes with age. I ran those nine pages of lines backwards, forwards, sideways, and upside down. I memorized a little bit every day. And a couple teammates came through in the end to run all of it with me to make sure I was up to the task. Because once you are on set actually doing the scene over and over and over with equipment and props and lights, etc., everything can very easily just fly out the window. The force was strong with me that week!

What’s been the most surprising reaction to you or your role since the nomination?

I have been shocked at the number of people who have seen the show and the number of people who love the character of Rosemary. They do write her some great quips with which to play with. This is my first job as a series regular, and I am finding that with working on a hit show comes a lot more exposure to a wider audience. I used to be recognized here and there—usually as “the skank” from Breaking Bad, Patty the daytime hooker from My Name Is Earl, or the grandma wolf on True Blood. Now there are folks hollering out their car windows, quoting Rosemary’s lines to me. It’s insane. Some actors can go out in public and disguise themselves with a hat or glasses or such. But there is no hiding this chin of mine. It is a dead giveaway.