Art Hindle
A durable Canadian screen presence who anchored prime-time dramas for decades, moving seamlessly from Dallas oilman to small-town news director.
Born 1948 (age 78)·Canadian actor and director·Birthday: July 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Art Hindle’s career is a map of North American television’s shifting landscape. Born in Halifax in 1948, he first gained attention in the early 1970s with film roles before finding a steady home on the small screen. His turn as the scheming Jeff Farraday on the global phenomenon Dallas in the early 80s introduced him to a massive audience, but it was his work back home in Canada that defined his legacy. For five seasons, he was the moral and professional anchor of the newsroom drama E.N.G., his portrayal of news director Mike Fennell earning him a Gemini Award and becoming a familiar, trusted figure in living rooms nationwide. Hindle never stopped working, evolving from leading man to character actor with grace, appearing in everything from the northern drama North of 60 to the family series Holly Hobbie. His directorial work behind the camera on various shows completed the portrait of a consummate television professional.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Art was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Art Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Art's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Gemini Award for Best Actor for his role as Mike Fennell on the long-running CTV drama E.N.G.
- Played the recurring role of Jeff Farraday on the iconic American prime-time soap Dallas during its peak popularity.
- Portrayed Harry Dobbs on the acclaimed Canadian series North of 60, a show celebrated for its depiction of Indigenous and settler life.
- Directed numerous episodes of television, including for the series Paradise Falls, where he also played a leading role.
Did You Know?
He was a talented junior hockey player in his youth and was offered a tryout with the Boston Bruins organization.
He played the role of 'Cochise' in the 1972 cult classic film 'The Last of the Mohicans' adaptation titled 'The Last of the Mohicans'.
His son, Adam Hindle, is also an actor and filmmaker.
“Television is a marathon, not a sprint; you learn to pace for the long run.”
