Actor Dale Dickey has received her first Emmy nomination, for her role in Apple TV's horror comedy "Widow's Bay," after more than four decades in the industry and roughly 75 films. In an interview with Variety, she describes the recognition as welcome but somewhat overwhelming logistically, saying her immediate reaction was less about vindication and more about the practical stress of finding a dress and arranging hair and makeup for awards season.

Dickey reflects on a long and often difficult career path, including 11 years working in New York before moving to Los Angeles, struggling to find representation, and being told by agents she "fell between the cracks" because she wasn't conventionally cast. She credits advice from six-time Emmy winner Tyne Daly, who told her early on that her career would grow with age, a prediction that proved true as her workload increased in her 40s. Dickey says the nomination feels sweeter arriving later in life, when she is settled enough to enjoy it rather than feel daunted by it.