Character actress Dale Dickey now a leading lady for 'A Love Song,' Wes Studi co-stars

Dale Dickey is a familiar face in movies and on TV.

She's been a character actress for more than a quarter of a century. For her latest role, Dickey veered off her usual acting path into some unfamiliar territory.

Suddenly, she's a leading lady and she's getting some of the best reviews of her career.

In "A Love Song," Dickey plays a widow living alone in a trailer on a Colorado campground. She's waiting for a romantic interest from her youth to pay her visit. The film is about love, loss, healing and whatever might come next. For Dickey, what's come is a role that's gotten her much acclaim.

"It is nice for me to play a kinder, gentler sort since I'm usually killing people or something hard and violent and rough and strange," Dickey said.

Wes Studi plays the man from her past in the film. Despite his decades in the business, he, too, welcomed the challenge of something new for him: a little on-screen romance.

"The relationship is what sparked the whole thing, as far as I was concerned," Studi said. "Even old people are attracted to one another or, you know, the inner being of a human being is simply-doesn't change with age."

Dickey added, "And I just think it's beautiful to watch. Plus you get to see two-middle aged weathered actors have it out. So that's kind of fun."

Writer-director Max Walker-Silver was thrilled to get Dickey to say "yes" to his movie.

"I wrote the movie for her, picturing her in this place and knowing that I didn't know if there was anyone else that could exist in this landscape so truthfully and honestly and also so powerfully," Walker-Silver said.

He wrote this for Dickey even though he'd never met her. He just sensed it was a role just for her.

"There's a relief that people embrace the film. And that I didn't screw Max's movie up because I don't do lead roles. I was very insecure going in. So, yes, of course, it's very flattering and I'm really happy people are taking to it," Dickey said.

And taking to her!

If early reviews are any indication, I think we may be hearing more about her performance in the months to come.

"A Love Song" is in select theaters now.