Flashpoint and Durham County's Hugh Dillon was known as a musician in the band The Headstones before he broke out as an actor in the indie film Hard Core Logo.

Hugh Dillon has become so established as an actor that some of his fans don't even know he's a musician.

"I've seen things now, after Durham County and Flashpoint, where I'm described as 'Hugh Dillon from The Headstones,' as if The Headstones were a TV show," Dillon said.

You mean, like The Flintstones?

"Yeah, exactly," Dillon said.

OK, just to set the record straight, Dillon was the frontman and vocalist for the Headstones, a Canadian band that rocked hard in the 1990s.

But as Mike Sweeney on Durham County and Ed Lane on Flashpoint, in recent years Dillon has emerged as a fearless and increasingly famous TV actor who is drawn to complex roles.

So is the 2009 version of Hugh Dillon -- who has a new solo CD coming out in October -- a musician/actor or an actor/musician?

"As long as they spell my name right, I'm doing what I want to do, so it doesn't matter," said Dillon, a native of Kingston, Ont., who turned heads on the acting scene with the 1996 feature film Hard Core Logo.

The beauty of Dillon's professional life right now is that focusing on acting doesn't mean giving up on music, and vice versa.

On the acting front, the six-part second season of the acclaimed dark drama Durham County debuts Monday, July 13 on The Movie Network and Movie Central. It was shot last fall in Montreal.

As season No. 2 picks up, Mike Sweeney (Dillon) is on a career high after catching killer Ray Prager (played this season in disfigured form by Romano Orzari, taking over from Justin Louis). But even from jail, Ray continues to bait Mike and his daughter Sadie (Laurence Leboeuf).

As Mike's marriage to Audrey (Helene Joy) deteriorates, Mike becomes sexually fascinated with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Pen Verrity (Michelle Forbes from True Blood and In Treatment). Pen, however, is more emotionally damaged than Mike ever could have predicted.

Meanwhile, Dillon currently is in Toronto filming new episodes of the network cop series Flashpoint, which will be seen on CTV and CBS in 2010.

"They are such different roles and I hate to compare and contrast," Dillon said.

"The Ed Lane character (Flashpoint) is such a team player and he's more gregarious, he's more out there, it's all about saving things. Mike Sweeney (Durham County) is a heavier character to play. Everything about it is darker. Mike Sweeney is such a psychologically trying individual."

As fate would have it, Dillon's acting prowess has created new opportunities for his music to be heard.

"I have a record deal (with Warner Music Canada) and I just really like those guys, because there's no baggage with them, they know me as a person and they don't want somebody I was years ago," said Dillon, 46. "They love the songs and it's not about anything else."

Many of the songs on Dillon's upcoming CD have been produced by fellow Kingston native Paul Langlois of the Tragically Hip.

"I've gone through phases of performing, I've gone through phases of recording, but the only thing I've naturally done, consistently, for years, is song-writing," Dillon said. "When I'm not acting, I write songs. That's how I've got songs on Flashpoint and I've got songs on Durham County.

"I'm fortunate enough that I now have these great venues, which are these television shows, to showcase the music I write. I don't necessarily have to be on the road."

That's one of the ironies of showbiz sometimes, isn't it? Dillon may not have to travel as much, but his face and his voice and his music are kind of everywhere.

"It's a pretty cool place to be and that's why I'm so grateful for the most part," Dillon said. "I'm surrounded by a lot of generous, creative people, and that just makes life easy.

"It's just such an amazing period of time artistically for me."

Two Solitudes helps Dillon with dark role

Not speaking French while working in Montreal has helped Hugh Dillon formulate the isolated, brooding character that is Mike Sweeney of Durham County.

"Even the way Durham County shoots -- it shoots in the fall, when everything's dying -- there's a certain darkness about it," said Dillon, a native of Kingston, Ont. "And for me, too, on a personal note, I love shooting in Montreal because there's a disconnect with the language barrier sometimes that I use for the character.

"You wouldn't think about that if you didn't know Durham County was shot in Montreal. But you're slightly different from other people there when you're an ignoramus like me and bilingual only in terms of English and profanity. And also I'm away from people and friends, outside of the core cast of actors, so I use that."

Speaking of the core cast of actors on Durham County, Dillon has a particularly great relationship with bilingual actress Laurence Leboeuf, who plays Mike's daughter Sadie.

"We have great chemistry both on and off screen -- she's just a sweet, sweet person," Dillon said. "When I'm shooting Flashpoint (in Toronto), there's more of a guy camaraderie. I really like those guys.

"The material defines the characters and that sets it up for an actor to do the work. So I guess life imitates art, and vice versa."

The second season of Durham County debuts Monday, July 13 on The Movie Network and Movie Central. Dillon currently is in Toronto shooting new episodes of Flashpoint, which airs on CTV and CBS.

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