
Tim DeKay
Actor · Born June 12, 1963 (63) · Ithaca, New York, USA
Timothy Robert DeKay (born June 12, 1963) is an American actor best known for starring as FBI Special Agent Peter Burke in the USA Network series White Collar (2009–2014). He was also a cast member of the series Party of Five (1997–1999), Carnivàle (2003–2005), and Tell Me You Love Me (2007). He has guest–starred on a number of top-rated television series, including Seinfeld, Friends, CSI, My Name Is Earl, NCIS, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Scrubs. McKay has appeared in notable films such as Swordfish (2001), Get Smart (2008), and Oppenheimer (2023). He has been married to actress Elisa Taylor since 1991; they have two children.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 12, 1963 (63)
- Ithaca, New York, USA
- Actor
- 60 on MovieCove · 71 credits in all
What are Tim DeKay's films like?
Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 10
A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 6
Grounded 8 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 3
Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1
A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0
Casual 5 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 3
A split, not a type: Resolved 7 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2
Roles they play
Usually the Herald: 2 of 5 analyzed roles.
- Heraldas Dean Stewart in Big Eden (2000)
- Allyas Clayton 'Jonesy' Jones in Carnivàle (2003)
- Heraldas Coach Garrick in Peaceful Warrior (2006)
- Mentoras Peter Burke in White Collar (2009)
- Mentoras Lucas in Ingress (2023)
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet10
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Tim DeKay's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 47 of their 60 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (11).
- White Collar (2009) · actor, director, producer
- Scrubs (2001) · actor
- Malcolm in the Middle (2000) · actor
- Big Eden (2000) · actor
- Revenge (2011) · actor
- My Name Is Earl (2005) · actor
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) · actor
- Law & Order (1990) · actor
- NCIS (2003) · actor
- Ally McBeal (1997) · actor
- CSI: Miami (2002) · actor
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) · actor · free
- Everwood (2002) · actor · free
- NCIS (2003) · actor · free
- The Chumscrubber (2005) · actor · free
- Hot in Cleveland (2010) · actor · free
- The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006) · actor · free
- Diagnosis Murder (1993) · actor · free
- CSI: Miami (2002) · actor · free
- Touched by an Angel (1994) · actor · free
- The Crow: Salvation (2000) · actor · free
Subscription and free streaming for Tim DeKay's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
71 credits, 60 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Ingress(2023)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Oppenheimer(2023)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
1923(2022)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Bosch: Legacy(2022)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
FBI: Most Wanted(2020)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows
ViewPoint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

Lucifer(2016)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Second Chance(2016)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
The Expanse(2015)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Chicago Med(2015)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Sex, Death and Bowling(2015)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Ballers(2015)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.(2013)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Revenge(2011)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Law & Order: LA(2010)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows
Hot in Cleveland(2010)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
WWII in HD(2009)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
White Collar(2009)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Political Disasters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

Get Smart(2008)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Russell Girl(2008)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Monster Ark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

Randy & the Mob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

Chuck(2007)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Tell Me You Love Me(2007)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Hidden Palms(2007)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
Peaceful Warrior(2006)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Walkout(2006)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
My Name Is Earl(2005)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows
The Chumscrubber(2005)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Numb3rs(2005)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows
Control(2004)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The 4400 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

NCIS(2003)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Carnivàle(2003)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Without a Trace(2002)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
CSI: Miami(2002)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows
Everwood(2002)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
The Third Wheel(2002)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Scrubs(2001)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Swordfish(2001)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Big Eden(2000)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
God, the Devil and Bob(2000)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
The Crow: Salvation(2000)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Malcolm in the Middle(2000)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Brimstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Cupid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Sports Night(1998)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Almost Heroes(1998)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Ally McBeal(1997)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
The Practice(1997)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Night Sins(1997)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
The Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

The Pretender(1996)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Townies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Caroline in the City(1995)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows
The Naked Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Friends(1994)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Touched by an Angel(1994)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
Party of Five(1994)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
Ellen(1994)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows
Diagnosis Murder(1993)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
SeaQuest 2032(1993)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
The Larry Sanders Show(1992)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Law & Order(1990)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Seinfeld(1989)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Career shape
Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 70 titles from 1989 to 2023; peak year 2001.
Film career
Peak 2001 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1994Screen debut· Party of Five
- 1996First film· If These Walls Could Talk
- 2006Career best· Peaceful Warrior
- 2009Career best· White Collar
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Tim DeKay's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up28
- 50th to 74th16
- 25th to 49th11
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
26 of their 60 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved17
- Cult Classic3
- Crowd Pleaser26
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed13
Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Tim DeKay's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Tim DeKay work with?
People who share at least 2 of Tim DeKay's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Amy Smart shares the most, 2.
Actors
- Amy SmartShared titles: WWII in HD (2009), Peaceful Warrior (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Amy Smart

- Paul WesleyShared titles: The Russell Girl (2008), Peaceful Warrior (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Wesley

Mixed roles
- Ally WalkerShared titles: Sex, Death and Bowling (2015), Tell Me You Love Me (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Ally Walker



