{{short description|Australian actor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Kelly Dingwall | image = | caption = | other_names = Kelly Dale | birth_name = | birth_date = ~1964<ref name="Morris"/> or ~1966<ref name="Robinson"/> | birth_place = Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia | occupation = Actor | notable_works = ''Raw Nerve''<br>''The Custodian''<br>''Secret Valley''<br>''Home and Away'' | years_active = 1979–1997 | partner = | children = 1 | family = John Dingwall }} '''Kelly Dale Dingwall''' (born 23 September 1966) is an Australian former actor. He is known for his roles as Brian 'Dodge' Forbes in the soap opera ''Home and Away'', and a rookie reporter Tony Reynolds in the 1993 mystery thriller film ''The Custodian''.
==Early life== Dingwall is the son of scriptwriters John Dingwall and Margaret Kelly.<ref>{{cite news | last= Morris | first= Jill | title= Secret resolved, after five years | newspaper = The Age | date= 5 July 1984}}</ref><ref name=asonotes>{{cite web | last=Kuipers | first=Richard | title=Curator's notes: Around the World in 80 Ways (1986) on ASO | website=Australian Screen | publisher= NFSA | url=https://aso.gov.au/titles/features/around-the-world-in-80-ways/notes/ | access-date=1 February 2026}}</ref> He is the oldest of five children.<ref name=variety>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2004/scene/people-news/john-dingwall-1117905720/ |title= John Dingwall – Screenwriter, producer, director |magazine= Variety |first= Richard |last= Kuipers |date= 28 May 2004 |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref>
His family travelled around Australia for work, which meant Dingwall changed schools often.<ref name="lola"/> At the age of 11, he attended a writing workshop and wrote a children's play. The play was subsequently picked up by Australian television and he starred it.<ref name="lola"/>
==Career== After appearing in miniseries ''Top Mates'' in 1979,<ref name="Morris"/> Dingwall took on the regular role of Spider McGlurk (leader of the Spider gang) in children's adventure series ''Secret Valley'' from 1980 to 1983.<ref name="Morris">{{Citation | last= Morris | first= Jill | title= Paid to throw stink bombs | url= | periodical= The Age | date= 10 January 1980}}</ref> He appeared in several miniseries including ''The Challenge'' (1986)<ref>{{Citation | last= Lee Lewes | first= Jacqueline | title= Livvy to pitch in for the kids | url= | periodical= The Sydney Morning Herald | date= 24 March 1994}}</ref> and ''Vietnam'' (1987), starring Nicole Kidman in an early role.<ref name="dingwall">{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kelly-dingwall/credits/3000058793/#google_vignette |title= Kelly Dingwall |website= TV Guide |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> He also had guest roles in soap operas ''E Street''<ref name="Robinson"/> and ''A Country Practice'' as well as police procedural series ''Police Rescue''.<ref name="dingwall"/>
Dingwall's film roles during this time included playing Barry in 1987 coming-of-age drama ''The Year My Voice Broke'', alongside Ben Mendelsohn and Noah Taylor,<ref name="voice">{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-year-my-voice-broke/cast/2000274776/ |title= The Year My Voice Broke – Full Cast & Crew |website= TV Guide |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> and Eddie in 1988 comedy ''Around the World in 80 Ways''.<ref name="around">{{Citation | last= Benson | first= Sheila | title= MOVIE REVIEW : 'Around the World' Is the Right Prescription | url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-18-ca-1473-story.html | periodical= Los Angeles Times | date= 18 March 1988}}</ref> He also featured in a 1987 stage production of ''I'm Not Rappaport'' at Sydney Opera House.<ref name="rappaport">{{Citation | last= Kippax | first= H.G. | title= Warm study of resilience | url= | periodical= The Sydney Morning Herald | date= 1 July 1987}}</ref>
In 1989, Dingwall landed the regular role of antagonist Brian 'Dodge' Forbes in long-running soap opera ''Home and Away''<ref name="Robinson"/> and in 1990, he played David in the film ''Raw Nerve''.<ref name="nerve">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122301630 |title=Fears beneath the bravado |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=64 |issue=20,199 |first= Dougal |last= Macdonald |date=1 August 1990 |access-date=3 October 2017 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> That same year, he left ''Home and Away'', adopted the stage name 'Kelly Dale' and relocated to the UK to further his acting career.<ref name="lola">{{cite web|url= https://lolaclips.com/footage-archive/tv_am/TVA-01-0061/kelly_dingwall_now_known_as_kelly_dale_talks_to_richard_keyes_and_lorriane_kelly_1 |title= Kelly Dingwall now known as Kelly Dale talks to Richard Keyes and Lorriane Kelly |website= www.lolaclips.com |date= 1990 |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref>
In 1993, Dingwall played the role of Tony Reynolds in mystery thriller ''The Custodian'',<ref name="Robinson">{{Citation | last= Robinson | first= Judy | title= Kelly finally grows up for a police whistle blower | url= | periodical= The Sydney Morning Herald | date= 24 March 1994}}</ref> written and directed by his father John Dingwall and starring Hugo Weaving, Anthony La Paglia, Barry Otto and Essie Davis, with Naomi Watts in an early role.<ref name="custodian">{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-custodian/cast/2030344412/ |title= The Custodian – Full Cast & Crew |website= TV Guide |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> In 1995, he resumed the role of Dodge in ''Home and Away'', until the character was killed off. He next had a recurring role as police diver Senior-Constable Sam Bailey in ''Water Rats'' in 1997,<ref name="kelly"/> and a starring guest role in an episode of drama series ''Big Sky''.<ref name="bigsky"/> He officially retired from the industry.
==Personal life== Dingwall met his wife Kristin, a casting consultant, on the set of 1993 film ''The Custodian''. In January 1996, they were married and 18 months later in 1997, they had a daughter.<ref name="kelly">{{cite web|url= https://www.tvflashback.com.au/tv-week-whats-new-kelly-water-rats-19th-july-1997/ |title= What’s New Kelly? |website= TV Week via www.tvflashback.com.au |first= Shane |last= Sutton |date= 19 July 1997 |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {|class= wikitable ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref. |- | 1985 | ''The Empty Beach'' | Head Punk | | <ref name="dingwall"/> |- | 1987 | ''The Year My Voice Broke'' | Barry | | <ref name="voice"/> |- | rowspan="3"|1988 | ''Around the World in 80 Ways'' | Eddie Davis | | <ref name="around"/> |- | ''The First Kangaroos'' | Jim Devereux | | <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C808464 |title= The First Kangaroos |website= AustLit |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | ''Vicious!'' (aka ''To Make a Killing'') | Benny | | <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/vicious/cast/2000335037/ |title= Vicious! – Full Cast & Crew |website= TV Guide |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 1990 | ''Raw Nerve'' | David | | <ref name="nerve"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122301630 |title= Fears Beneath the Bravado |website= The Canberra Times via National Library of Australia / Trove | page= 24 |date= 1 August 1990 |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 1993 | ''The Custodian'' | Tony Reynolds | | <ref name="Robinson"/> |}
===Television=== {|class= wikitable ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref. |- | 1979 | ''Top Mates'' | | Miniseries | <ref name="Morris"/> |- | 1980–1983 | ''Secret Valley'' | Spider McGlurk | 13 episodes | <ref name="Morris"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43740323 |title= Out of the ashes comes Secret Valley |website= The Australian Women's Weekly via National Library of Australia / Trove | page= 48 |date= 24 December 1980 |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 1983; 1985; 1991 | ''A Country Practice'' | Wayne Bailey / Ross Thompson / Robert McNichol | 6 episodes | |- | rowspan="3"|1986 | ''The Challenge'' | Damian Fewster | Miniseries, 2 episodes | <ref name="dingwall"/> |- | ''I Own the Racecourse'' | | rowspan="2"|TV film | <ref name="dingwall"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C736765 |title= I Own the Racecourse |website= AustLit |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | ''Double Sculls'' | Experimental Subject #1 | <ref name="dingwall"/> |- | 1987 || ''Vietnam'' || Serge's flatmate || Miniseries, 1 episode || <ref name="dingwall"/> |- | 1987; 1989 | ''Rafferty's Rules'' | Billy / Shane Stevens | 2 episodes | <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.australiantelevision.net/raffertys-rules/series2+3.html |title= Rafferty's Rules: episode guide Series 2 & 3 |website= www.australiantelevision.net |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.australiantelevision.net/raffertys-rules/series5.html |title= Rafferty's Rules: episode guide Series 5 |website= www.australiantelevision.net |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 1988 | ''The Fremantle Conspiracy'' | Sean | Miniseries | |- | 1989 | ''E Street'' | Kevin 'Lucky' Johns | 4 episodes | <ref name="Robinson"/> |- | 1989; 1995 | ''Home and Away'' | Brian 'Dodge' Forbes | 68 episodes | <ref name="Robinson"/> |- | 1990 | ''Shadows of the Heart'' | Andy Keegan | Miniseries, 2 episodes | |- | rowspan="3"|1991 | ''Police Rescue'' | Dylan | rowspan="2"|1 episode | |- | ''The Miraculous Mellops'' | Attendant | | <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.australiantelevision.net/the-miraculous-mellops/cast1.html |title= The Miraculous Mellops: cast |website= www.australiantelevision.net |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | ''Heroes II: The Return'' | Able Seaman Walter 'Poppa' Falls | Miniseries, 2 episodes | |- | 1994 | ''G.P.'' | Simon Bennet | 1 episode | |- | 1996 | ''Whipping Boy'' | Dismal | TV film | |- |rowspan="2"|1997 | ''Big Sky'' | Mac McLoughlin | Episode: "Mac's Time" | <ref name="bigsky">{{cite web|url= http://www.australiantelevision.net/big-sky/series1.html |title= Big Sky: episode guide |website= www.australiantelevision.net |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | ''Water Rats'' | Sam Bailey | 9 episodes | <ref name="kelly"/> |}
==Theatre== {|class= wikitable ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref. |- | 1984 | ''Torch Song Trilogy'' | Understudy for David & Alan | York Theatre, Sydney, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, National Theatre, Melbourne with J. C. Williamson's | <ref>{{cite web|url= https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/475953 |title= Kelly Dingwall |website= AusStage |access-date= 1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 1987 | ''I'm Not Rappaport'' | | Sydney Opera House | <ref name="rappaport"/> |}
==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb name|0227678}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dingwall, Kelly}} Category:1966 births Category:20th-century Australian actors Category:Australian expatriates in England Category:Australian child actors Category:Australian film actors Category:Australian stage actors Category:Australian television actors Category:Living people Category:Male actors from Queensland