When he was 10 years old Dale Miller was captivated by Bruce Lee movies. The combination of acting and martial arts fascinated him.
Twenty-six years later it still does.
Miller, a 1992 graduate of Western Hills, was inducted into the Universal Martial Arts Association’s Hall of Fame last month, and he’s concentrating on film work.
“That was my first goal as a child after seeing Bruce Lee movies,” he said about acting. “I never gave up on it. It always stayed with me. I tried to leave but I came back to it. It’s like it called me.”
Miller’s first movie was “The Detail” released in 1997. His big break came in “The Legacy,” the first of a trilogy that includes “Hell House,” which is due out by Halloween. The third installment is slated for release in late 2010.
Miller’s role in “The Legacy” was a deputy sheriff, and originally his screen time was going to be brief.
“After the first 20 minutes of filming the whole role got longer and longer,” Miller said, “and now it’s stuck for three movies.
“Deputy Cate is one of those characters with a resonating personality,” he added. “Once you see him you want to see him again.”
Before the acting came martial arts and cage fighting. Miller estimates he’s won 800 trophies in martial arts competitions. It was during his time as a cage fighter that Miller decided to continue his education.
“I had a recurring dream after getting out of high school of being back in high school,” he said. “I decided to go back to school and get a bachelor’s in business.”
Miller, who owns two businesses in Louisville, earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.
The induction ceremony for this year’s Hall of Fame class took place in the Washington, D.C. area. Miller earned his spot in the Hall of Fame in the Leadership in the Martial Arts division.
“It was beautiful,” Miller said of the ceremony. “There were 300 people from all over the world, friends and other inductees. I got a nice plaque, and I have a Hall of Fame ring on back order.”
Miller found out early this year that he’d been selected for this year’s class.
“I got a confirmation letter at the beginning of this year,” he said, and they asked if I would accept it.”
Miller didn’t hesitate.
“You want to get recognition for things you do,” he said. “You think people don’t notice, but they do notice. All things happen at the appropriate time.”
Much of Miller’s martial arts expertise is used to get in shape for movies, some of which have had scenes filmed in the area and include people from Frankfort.
“I’m staying focused on acting,” Miller said. “After all I’m 36 years old.”