大学毕业后，Delate搬到了纽约市，并在最初的几年里，无论是在专业上还是在个人上，都适应了这座城市的新奇和节奏。1981年，迪拉特的第一部专业表演作品（以及他与纽约莎士比亚戏剧节的特殊联系）开始了，当时他出演了那年夏天在中央公园演出的两部戏剧——《亨利四世》第一部和《暴风雨》。随后又上演了其他戏剧（包括约瑟夫·帕普与黛安·维诺拉合作的《哈姆雷特》），1984-1985年，德拉特因在屡获殊荣的戏剧《追踪者》中的表演而广受好评，该剧在纽约（NYSF）和伦敦（皇家法院）都取得了成功。随之而来的是大量的日间电视和商业作品。1987年，威廉·弗里德金（William Friedkin）在《蟒蛇狼》（Python Wolf）中为他配音，不久之后，大卫·琼斯（David Jones）在《杰克刀》（Jacknife）中与罗伯特·德尼罗（Robert DeNiro）和埃德·哈里斯（Ed Harris）演对手戏。戏剧、电影和电视的机会结合在一起，帮助 Delate 成为一名演员。他在River Arts Repertory度过了三个赛季，在凤凰剧院公司度过了三个赛季，从事轮换话剧，以及在纽约内外的许多戏剧表演。当时的一件琐事是，Delate 在华纳兄弟允许的唯一批准的《卡萨布兰卡》舞台剧中扮演汉弗莱·鲍嘉 （Humphrey Bogart） 饰演的瑞克 （Rick）。Delate有幸与业内一些最有才华和创造力的导演和演员合作 - 最近的《勇敢者》（由尼尔·乔丹执导，朱迪·福斯特），百老汇的莎乐美，由埃斯特尔·帕森斯执导，以及电影《莎乐美》（均与阿尔·帕西诺合作），以及《我的兄弟》（由安东尼·洛弗执导）。 《布法罗士兵》（由格雷戈尔·乔丹执导，艾德·哈里斯和华金·菲尼克斯执导）、《杜鲁门秀》（彼得·威尔执导，金·凯瑞和劳拉·琳妮执导）、《美国守灵夜》和《天黑前的家》（均由莫琳·弗利执导，后者与凯瑟琳·罗斯合作）、《猝死》（彼得·海姆斯执导）、《远离天堂》（托德·海恩斯执导）、《灰烬星期三》（爱德华·伯恩斯执导）、 以及《肖申克的救赎》（由弗兰克·达拉邦特执导，蒂姆·罗宾斯主演）。

After college graduation, Delate moved to New York City and spent his first few years adapting, both professionally and personally, to the novelty and pace of the city. Delate's first professional acting work (and his very special association with the New York Shakespeare Festival) began in 1981, when he was cast in both of the plays performed in Central Park that summer - Henry IV, Part I and The Tempest. Other plays followed (including Joseph Papp's Hamlet with Diane Venora), and in 1984-1985, Delate received critical acclaim for his performance in the award-winning play, Tracers, which had successful runs in both New York (NYSF) and London (Royal Court). An abundance of daytime television and commercial work followed. In 1987, William Friedkin cast him in Python Wolf and not long after, David Jones cast him opposite Robert DeNiro and Ed Harris in Jacknife. Theatre, film and television opportunities all combined to help Delate thrive as an actor. He spent three seasons with the River Arts Repertory, and three seasons with Phoenix Theatre Company doing rotating repertory theatre, along with numerous theatre acting stints in and out of New York. One piece of trivia from that time was that Delate got to play the Humphrey Bogart role of Rick in the only sanctioned stage production of Casablanca permitted by Warner Brothers. Delate has had the privilege to work with some of the most talented and creative directors and actors in the industry -- most recently in The Brave One (directed by Neil Jordan, with Jodie Foster), in Salome on Broadway, directed by Estelle Parsons and elsewhere and in the film, Salomaybe (both with Al Pacino), as well as in My Brother (directed by Anthony Lover), Buffalo Soldiers (directed by Gregor Jordan, with Ed Harris and Joaquin Phoenix), The Truman Show (directed by Peter Weir, with Jim Carrey and Laura Linney), American Wake and Home Before Dark (both directed by Maureen Foley, the latter with Katherine Ross), Sudden Death (directed by Peter Hyams), Far From Heaven (directed by Todd Haynes), Ash Wednesday (directed by Edward Burns), and The Shawshank Redemption (directed by Frank Darabont, with Tim Robbins).