--- name: "Dale Midkiff" canonical: "https://film.one/person/dale-midkiff" fi1m_id: "dale-midkiff" imdb_id: "nm0001535" tmdb_id: 56265 wikidata_id: "Q1157858" roles: ["Actor"] born: "1 July 1959" reviewed_on_fi1m: 1 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-10-15T04:09:27.132183+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Dale Midkiff ## Identity Dale Midkiff - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/dale-midkiff - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** dale-midkiff - **IMDb ID:** nm0001535 - **TMDB ID:** 56265 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1157858 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Midkiff, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1157858, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001535/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56265 Actor. Born 1 July 1959 in Chance, Maryland, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 1 July 1959, Chance, Maryland, USA - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Midkiff, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1157858, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001535/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56265 ## Streaming the US now - **AMC+:** [*Pet Sematary*](https://film.one/film/pet-sematary.md) (45) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Dale Midkiff > Dale Midkiff is most at ease as the dependable father or lawman, with a little humour to keep the decency from becoming dull. Ask him to make that steadiness frightening, and the limitations show. In *Pet Sematary* (1989), Dale Midkiff's Louis Creed looks reassuringly ordinary as he moves his family to a house beside a dangerous road. He is a doctor, handsome and even-tempered, and initially that calm makes sense. The trouble is how little the performance changes when the story needs fear. We were frustrated by his composure, because we kept having to imagine the worry his face was not showing. Mary Lambert's film needs us to understand Louis, and Midkiff gives us too little help. Stephen King's screenplay shares the blame, cutting Louis's reasons while hurrying through the events. Midkiff has to make sense of behaviour the writing has barely prepared, but he does not find a way to do it. Fred Gwynne, as the neighbour Jud Crandall, gives the film some of the unease it needs, which makes the blandness of its leading man harder to excuse even when the writing has let him down. His most widely recognised film role is therefore an awkward introduction to an actor more often valued for making ordinary heroes believable. The steadiness that fails here has more use in his television work. After playing Elvis Presley in the miniseries *Elvis and Me* (1988), his career increasingly settled around men with more everyday authority. In *Time Trax* (1993–1994), he led the series as Captain Darien Lambert, bringing understated humour to a hero allowed human flaws. The raised eyebrow matters: it gives the straight-faced hero some room to be amused without turning him into a joke. Buck Wilmington in *The Magnificent Seven* (1998–2000) continued that run of regular television work. The later family dramas made his paternal warmth more central. As Clark Davis, beginning with *Love Comes Softly* (2003), he appeared in six films between 2003 and 2007. That is a better fit for an actor whose strength is making decency seem ordinary. His four films with director Michael Landon Jr. also give us reason to look beyond the horror role. Start with *Time Trax* if quiet competence and a little mischief are what you want from a leading man. ## Biography Dale Midkiff is an American actor. Born on 1 July 1959 in Chance, Maryland, he studied at Salisbury University before moving to New York, where he worked as a waiter while pursuing acting and appeared in off-Broadway productions. His first major television role was as the young Jock Ewing in the 1986 film *Dallas: The Early Years*. He gained wider recognition playing Elvis Presley in the 1988 miniseries *Elvis and Me* and as Louis Creed in the 1989 film *Pet Sematary*. Midkiff later starred as Captain Darien Lambert in the series *Time Trax* (1993–1994) and as Buck Wilmington in *The Magnificent Seven* (1998–2000). He is also known for portraying Clark Davis in the *Love Comes Softly* series of television films, for which he received Camie and Grace awards. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (1) - *Pet Sematary* (1989), Fi1m 45, as Louis Creed — [page](https://film.one/film/pet-sematary.md) ## Complete filmography (64) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Hell's Kitty* (2018), as Rosemary Carrie - *The Client List* (2012), series, as J.D. Whitman, Sr. - *Castle* (2009), series, as Sheriff Conklin — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/castle.md) - *Lie to Me* (2009), series, as Samuel Wynn - *2012 Doomsday* (2008), as Dr. Frank Richards - *Love's Unfolding Dream* (2007), as Clark Davis - *Boxboarders!* (2007), as Bruce Rockwell - *Totally Baked* (2007), as Doug - *Love's Unending Legacy* (2007), as Clark Davis - *Flight of the Living Dead* (2007), as Dr. Lucas - *Love's Abiding Joy* (2006), as Clark Davis - *Dexter* (2006), series, as Mr. Wilson — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md) - *Love's Long Journey* (2005), as Clark Davis - *Deep Rescue* (2005), as Ben - *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, as Gil Bonner — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md) - *Back to You & Me* (2005), as Gus Martin - *Love's Enduring Promise* (2004), as Clark Davis - *Debating Robert Lee* (2004), as Robert Lee - *Torn Apart* (2004), as Jerry Bender - *Maximum Velocity* (2003), as Dr. Timothy Briggs - *Love Comes Softly* (2003), as Clark Davis - *Nancy Drew* (2002), as Jimbo Mitchell - *Without a Trace* (2002), series, as Eddie Ferguson - *CSI: Miami* (2002), series, as Doug McClain - *Video Voyeur: The Susan Wilson Story* (2002), as Gary Wilson - *Route 666* (2001), as P.T. - *Crossing Jordan* (2001), series, as Jerry Miller - *Air Bud: World Pup* (2001), as Patrick - *Falcon Down* (2001), as Captain Hank Thomas - *The Warden* (2001), as Murphy - *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Robert Woodbury - *Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion* (2000), as Bill Templer - *Another Woman's Husband* (2000), as Johnny Miller / Jake - *The Crow: Salvation* (2000), as Vincent Erlich - *Twice in a Lifetime* (1999), series, Actor - *The Magnificent Seven* (1998), series, as Buck Wilmington - *Conversations in Limbo* (1998), as Vic - *Toothless* (1997), as Thomas Jameson - *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1997), series, as Thomas Jameson - *Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Heatwave* (1997), as Det. Steve Carella - *Any Place But Home* (1997), as Carl Miller - *Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Ice* (1996), as Det. Steve Carella - *Visitors of the Night* (1995), as Sheriff Marcus Ashley - *A Child Is Missing* (1995), as Peter Barnes - *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Tom Cooper - *A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story* (1994), as Red - *Time Trax* (1993), series, as Darien Lambert - *Love Potion No. 9* (1992), as Gary - *Blackmail* (1991), as Scott Mayfield - *Plymouth* (1991), as Gil Eaton - *Shoot First: A Cop's Vengeance* (1991), as Farrell Tucker - *Sins of the Mother* (1991), as Kevin Coe - *The Marla Hanson Story* (1991), as Eric Warner - *Bodyguard* (1990), as Cameron Childes - *A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story* (1989), as Buck Thurman - *Pet Sematary* (1989), as Louis Creed — Fi1m 45, [page](https://film.one/film/pet-sematary.md) - *Dream Street* (1989), series, Actor - *Casual Sex?* (1988), as Attractive Stranger - *Elvis and Me* (1988), as Elvis Presley - *Elvis and Me* (1988), series, as Elvis Presley - *Top Kids* (1987), as Clyde Barrow (uncredited) - *Nightmare Weekend* (1986), as Ken - *Dallas: The Early Years* (1986), as Jock Ewing - *Streetwalkin'* (1985), as Duke --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/dale-midkiff