Dylan Neal

Dylan Neal was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario, in 1969. Four months after his birth, his family moved to Oakville, Ontario. He attended Appleby College in Oakville and initially wanted to become a professional squash player.{{cite web|title=Dylan Neal Biography|url=http://www.dylannealcentral.com/1biog.shtml|access-date=2 May 2012|archive-date=22 January 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122081655/http://www.dylannealcentral.com/1biog.shtml|url-status=dead}}

Neal transferred to T. A. Blakelock High School in Oakville for his last two years of schooling. It was there that he gained an interest in the performing arts and participated in his school's drama program. On the advice of his drama teacher, Neal decided he wanted to make a career of acting.

Before becoming an actor, Neal was a caterer and delivered lunch baskets to private businesses in industrial areas around Toronto.{{cite web|title=Dylan Neal at RingCon| website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpDNfxwcl0k|access-date=2 May 2012}} He also delivered pizzas for a living before making it as an actor. He has been passionate about furniture making.{{cite web|url=https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/furniture/%E2%80%9Ccedar-cove%E2%80%9D-actor-dylan-neal-passionate-about-furniture-making|title='Cedar Cove' Star Dylan Neal Is Passionate About Furniture Making|date=15 September 2015|website=Woodworking Network}}

Neal is married to TV writer and producer Becky Southwell who has co-written some of the Gourmet Detective films with him. They were married on 21 September 1996 and have two children together.{{cite web|url=http://www.timescolonist.com/big-picture-dylan-neal-in-high-gear-1.2217151|title=Big Picture: Dylan Neal in high gear|date=24 March 2016|website=Times Colonist}}{{cite web|url=http://frostsnow.com/50-shades-of-grey-star-dylan-neal-opens-up-about-his-married-life-wife-becky-southwell-and-family|title=50 Shades of Grey star Dylan Neal opens up about his married life, wife Becky Southwell, and family|access-date=11 January 2018|website=frostnow.com}}

Neal has said that after finishing his work on The Bold and the Beautiful, he was initially concerned about his ability to find another acting job. "There are certain expectations--or a certain lack of expectations--of soap opera actors," he said.

From 1998 to 2003, he portrayed Doug Witter, a small-town police officer, in the WB television drama Dawson's Creek. In the final season of the series, his character was revealed to be homosexual.{{cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/dawsons-creek-20-year-anniversary-2017-12|title=WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of 'Dawson's Creek' 22 years later|work=Insider|publisher=Axel Springer|first=Gabbi|last=Shaw|date=November 4, 2020|access-date=January 27, 2021}}

In 2000, Neal played a secret agent opposite Chuck Norris in the television film The President's Man.{{cite AV media|title=5 Film Chuck Norris Collection|date=2013|last1=Preece|first1=Michael|type=DVD|language=en|publisher=Echo Bridge Acquisition Corp LLC|time=The President's Man|id=09600922143|last2=Norris|first2=Eric|last3=Donner|first3=Richard|last4=Meyer|first4=Gerald}} It premiered on April 2 on CBS.{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=April 1, 2000|title=Sunday Night|page=Tv-7|work=Herald and Review}}

In 2007, Neal played Detective Mike Celluci in Lifetime's Canadian vampire fantasy show Blood Ties, in which he starred alongside Christina Cox and Kyle Schmid. The producers of the show ultimately chose Neal, Cox, and Schmid as the three leads of the show over other auditioning actors after observing the natural chemistry among the trio.{{cite web|title=Dylan Neal and Kyle Schmid at Fan Convention| website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e77hY6zXk-4|access-date=3 May 2012}} Neal later commented that fans often compliment the three actors for their charming on-screen chemistry and camaraderie.

Neal played the male lead opposite Andie MacDowell in the television series Cedar Cove for the Hallmark Channel. Neal played Jack Griffith, a Philadelphia reporter. He played Bob Adams, stepfather to the main character Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), in the film adaptation Fifty Shades of Grey (2015).{{cite news|url=http://www.postcity.com/Eat-Shop-Do/Do/July-2014/On-the-Cover-Dylan-Neal-talks-about-starring-in-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-and-his-Richmond-Hill-roots/|title=On the Cover: Dylan Neal talks about starring in Fifty Shades of Grey and his Richmond Hill roots|date=29 July 2014|publisher=Post City Toronto}}

Neal and his wife, Becky Southwell, write and produce their own projects through Southwell Neal Entertainment. They write and executive produce the Gourmet Detective original films for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, based on the novels by Peter King. As of February 2020, Neal has made five television movies based on the character.{{cite web|url=https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/gourmet-detective-movies|title=Gourmet Detective Movies|access-date=1 February 2020|website=Hallmark Movies & Mysteries}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/looks-like-christmas/cast/dylan-neal|title=DYLAN NEAL|access-date=11 January 2018|website=Hallmark Channel}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|623604}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041009195244/http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-1685 TV tome page]
• [http://www.dylannealstudio.com/ Dylan Neal Acting Studio]
• {{Twitter}}

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Category:1969 births

Category:Male actors from Ontario

Category:Appleby College alumni

Category:Canadian male film actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Living people

Category:People from Richmond Hill, Ontario