# Dallas Roberts
**Dallas Roberts** is an American film, television, and stage actor whose best-known screen work includes the scientist Milton Mamet on the third season of AMC's *The Walking Dead*, Eliot Delson on the CBS crime drama *Unforgettable*, and Owen Cavanaugh, Alicia Florrick's brother, on *The Good Wife*.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Dallas-Roberts/) Born Dallas Mark Roberts in Houston, Texas, in 1970, he trained at the [Juilliard School](https://www.edgepedia.org/juilliard-school) and built his early career in New York theater before moving into film and recurring television roles.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dallas Mark Roberts, born 1970 in Houston, Texas[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dallas-roberts/credits/3030053604/) |
| Training | Juilliard School Drama Division, Group 23, graduated 1994; earlier attended Manatee Community College in Sarasota, Florida[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1316767/bio/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/) |
| Signature TV roles | Milton Mamet (*The Walking Dead*), Eliot Delson (*Unforgettable*), Owen Cavanaugh (*The Good Wife*), Angus Partridge (*The L Word*)[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Dallas-Roberts/) |
| Notable films | *3:10 to Yuma* (2007), *Walk the Line* (2005), *Dallas Buyers Club* (2013), *The Grey* (2011), *My Friend Dahmer* (2017), *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery* (2022)[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dallas_roberts) |
| Stage honors | Drama Desk Award nomination for Adam Rapp's *Nocturne*; Elliot Norton Award, outstanding actor, 2001[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/roberts-dallas-1970) |
| Family | Married to Christine Jones, a set designer and professor; two sons[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1316767/bio/) • [6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/roberts-dallas-1970) |
## Training and early career
Roberts grew up in Houston and moved with his family to [Sarasota, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarasota-florida), where he attended high school and community college. A drama professor directed him toward acting, and he was accepted into the Juilliard School in New York City, graduating as a member of the Drama Division's Group 23 in 1994.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1316767/bio/)
His screen debut came in an episode of *New York Undercover* in 1994, followed by the first of five appearances in the *Law & Order* franchise. He then spent roughly eight years focused on theater, appearing in New York productions including [Lanford Wilson](https://www.edgepedia.org/lanford-wilson)'s *Burn This*, Adam Rapp's *Nocturne*, and [Caryl Churchill](https://www.edgepedia.org/caryl-churchill)'s *A Number* opposite [Sam Shepard](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-shepard).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/) In *Nocturne* at New York Theatre Workshop he played a son who narrates the accidental death of his younger sister and its aftermath; a review in *Backstage* called his performance a tour de force in one of the longest and most demanding monologue roles in recent memory.[7](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/nocturne-1-33368/) The role brought him a Drama Desk Award nomination and an Elliot Norton Award.[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/roberts-dallas-1970)
## Film career
Roberts moved into film with *A Home at the End of the World* (2004), based on Michael Cunningham's novel, in which he played Jonathan Glover.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/) His filmography mixes mainstream and independent work. He played [Sun Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/sun-records) producer [Sam Phillips](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-phillips) in the [Johnny Cash](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnny-cash) biopic *Walk the Line* (2005) and Grayson Butterfield in the Western *3:10 to Yuma* (2007), opposite Russell Crowe and Christian Bale; as a member of that film's cast he shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in 2008.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dallas_roberts) • [6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/roberts-dallas-1970)
Later credits include survival thriller *The Grey* (2011), the AIDS drama *Dallas Buyers Club* (2013) as [Matthew McConaughey](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthew-mcconaughey)'s character's lawyer [David Wayne](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-wayne), and Lionel Dahmer, the father of the title character, in *My Friend Dahmer* (2017).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dallas_roberts) He played Devon Debella in [Rian Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/rian-johnson)'s mystery *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery* (2022).[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dallas_roberts) Horror has recurred in his film choices: he played the father in the evil-child thriller *Joshua* (2007), the title radio host in the documentary-style *Shadow People* (2013), and Lester "The Reaper" McGill in the office thriller *Mayhem* (2017).[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dallas_roberts) • [8](https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/42476/indie-horror-month-exclusive-dallas-roberts-discusses-shadow-people-the-walking-dead-and-more/)
## Television
[Recurring character](https://www.edgepedia.org/recurring-character) work defines Roberts's television career. On Showtime's *The L Word* he played Angus Partridge (2006 to 2009); on AMC's conspiracy thriller *Rubicon* (2010) he played intelligence analyst Miles Fiedler; and on CBS's *The Good Wife* he played Owen Cavanaugh, the brother of [Julianna Margulies](https://www.edgepedia.org/julianna-margulies)'s lead character.[9](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=10403) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/)
His most widely recognized role came in the third season of *The Walking Dead* (2012), where Milton Mamet, a scientist and confidant of the Governor in the town of Woodbury, experiments on the undead. Milton was created for the series and does not appear in the comic books; Roberts said in interviews that he had little input on the character's look but considerable freedom with his mannerisms.[10](https://dailydead.com/exclusive-interview-with-the-walking-deads-dallas-roberts-milton/) He described the character as "better with numbers than with people" and, over the season, quietly rebelled against the Governor before Milton's dramatic end in the finale.[11](https://www.blackfilm.com/read/dallas-robert-talks-the-walking-dead/) • [10](https://dailydead.com/exclusive-interview-with-the-walking-deads-dallas-roberts-milton/)
On *Unforgettable* (2013 to 2015) he played Eliot Delson, the ambitious boss of [Poppy Montgomery](https://www.edgepedia.org/poppy-montgomery)'s detective character.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/) In the *Law & Order* universe he took the recurring role of serial killer Greg Yates on *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* and *Chicago P.D.*, appearing in the 2015 crossover storyline between the two series.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dallas_roberts) • [12](https://www.tvguide.com/news/unforgettable-dallas-roberts-1069973/) He later starred as [Bob Armstrong](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-armstrong) in the Netflix comedy *Insatiable* (2018 to 2019).[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Dallas-Roberts/)
Recent work includes Dr. Jerome Oziel, the real-life psychologist of the Menendez brothers, in the Netflix series *Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story* (2024), a guest role of six episodes[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10404/dallas-roberts); roles in *Tulsa King* (2022 to 2025) and *The Gilded Age*[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dallas-roberts/credits/3030053604/); and a completed project, *Blow the Horn*, listed as upcoming.[14](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1316767)
## References
1. [Dallas Roberts, Broadway & Theatre Credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Dallas-Roberts/)
2. [Dallas Roberts, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/dallas-roberts/)
3. [Dallas Roberts List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dallas-roberts/credits/3030053604/)
4. [Dallas Roberts Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1316767/bio/)
5. [Dallas Roberts Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dallas_roberts)
6. [Roberts, Dallas 1970-, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/roberts-dallas-1970)
7. [Nocturne review, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/nocturne-1-33368/)
8. [Indie Horror Month Exclusive: Dallas Roberts Discusses Shadow People, Dread Central](https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/42476/indie-horror-month-exclusive-dallas-roberts-discusses-shadow-people-the-walking-dead-and-more/)
9. [Dallas Roberts, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=10403)
10. [Exclusive Interview with The Walking Dead's Dallas Roberts (Milton), Daily Dead](https://dailydead.com/exclusive-interview-with-the-walking-deads-dallas-roberts-milton/)
11. [Dallas Robert gives insight to playing Milton on The Walking Dead, Blackfilm.com](https://www.blackfilm.com/read/dallas-robert-talks-the-walking-dead/)
12. [5 Reasons We Love Unforgettable's Dallas Roberts, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/news/unforgettable-dallas-roberts-1069973/)
13. [Dallas Roberts, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10404/dallas-roberts)
14. [Dallas Roberts, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1316767)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Ro to R*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license