Alan Dale first became widely recognised through a three-and-a-half year stint playing the bad tempered and enigmatic Dr. John Forrest in Australian soap opera The Young Doctors. After The Young Doctors he was cast as the lead in the Grundy serial Possession. Dale then played the key continuing role of Jim Robinson in soap opera Neighbours. Dale continued with the role of Jim for eight years, from 1985 until 1993. In addition to being successful in Australia, both The Young Doctors and Neighbours also became popular in the United Kingdom. During his run in Neighbours he also acted in horror movie Houseboat Horror (1989).
By the early 1990’s Dale relocated to Los Angeles, California where he continued his acting career. There he appeared in many well known television series including American Dreams, ER, JAG, The West Wing and NCIS.
In 2000 Dale played the “Toothpick Man” in three episodes of The X-Files, including the series finale. He then took the recurring role of Vice President of the United States Jim Prescott for several episodes of the second season of 24. That year he played the guest role of Romulan Praetor Hiren in Star Trek: Nemesis.
In 2003, Dale guest starred on the FOX summer TV series, The O.C. playing Caleb Nichol, a wealthy tycoon and father of Kirsten Cohen, Lindsay Gardner, and Hailey Nichol (Kelly Rowan, Shannon Lucio, and Amanda Righetti) and grandfather of Seth (Adam Brody). The producers saw that the character had further potential, and was made into a recurring, and then regular character in the series.
After his role in The O.C. ended, Dale appeared in the second season finale of Lost, as the wealthy father of Penny, Desmond‘s ex-fiance, in one of Desmond‘s flashbacks. It was revealed that Dale‘s character had intercepted all of Desmond‘s letters to Penny from prison in order to cut him out of her life, and he offered Desmond a large sum of money to stay away from her. Desmond in turn refused and entered into a race around the world sponsored by Dale‘s character. Desmond‘s boat would crash during the race in a storm on the island. Coincidentally, Desmond‘s boat is registered in Newport Beach, CA- the posh Orange County township in which Dale‘s character on The O.C. lived.
As of 2007, Alan has appeared as the patriarch of the embattled business everyone wants to run on the TV series Ugly Betty. He plays Bradford Meade, the owner of Meade Publications, which publishes the fashion magazine MODE. Dale is also currently appearing in the second series of Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. Jazz/Modern