Mark Dacascos

Mark Dacascos

Mark Dacascos in 2011
Born Mark Alan Dacascos
(1964-02-26) February 26, 1964
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Other names Marc Dacascos
The Chairman
Occupation Actor, martial artist, television personality
Years active 1985–present
Spouse(s) Julie Condra (1998–present)
Children 3
Parent(s) Al Dacascos, Moriko McVey-Murray, Malia Bernal
Website www.dacascos.com

Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor and martial artist.[1] He won numerous karate and various styles of kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18.[2] Dacascos is perhaps best known for his roles as Toby Wong in the 1997 film Drive, and Ling in the 2003 film Cradle 2 the Grave.

Beginning in January 2005, Dacascos has portrayed the Chairman on Food Network's television series Iron Chef America. This role was previously played by Takeshi Kaga in the original Japanese Iron Chef, and Dacascos' character is presented as Kaga's nephew, though the actors are not related. Some of his other roles include the recurring character of Wo Fat on the CBS series Hawaii Five-0; Kung Lao in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy; Eric Draven in The Crow: Stairway to Heaven; Eubulon, the Advent Master in Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight; the role of Mani in the French film Brotherhood of the Wolf, and the lead role of Crying Freeman in the film of the same name.

Dacascos competed in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars.[3][4]

Biography

Dacascos' father, Al Dacascos, is from Hawaii, and is a martial arts instructor of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry. His biological mother, Moriko McVey-Murray, is of Irish and Japanese ancestry. She introduced Mark to martial arts at age 3. In the History Channel presentation, "Samurai", he revealed that many of the Japanese side of his mother's family were killed in the bombing of Hiroshima. Mark's stepmother, award winning martial artist Malia Bernal and his father Al Dacascos raised him and were his first martial arts teachers. Dacascos attended Los Angeles Valley College and was on their 1983-1984 Gymnastics Team coached by Gary Honjio. He also attended Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Dacascos is proficient in his father's style of martial arts, Wun Hop Kuen Do. He has studied Muay Thai with Kru Puk, Capoeira with Mestre Amen Santo, and Wushu with Coaches Eric and Debbie Chen, though he self-admittedly is still very much a beginner/intermediate student in those arts.[5]

Personal life

He is married to actress Julie Condra, who starred with him in Crying Freeman. They have three children: two sons and a daughter.[6] Mark has five siblings: two brothers and three sisters.

Career

Dacascos in a deleted scene in Wayne Wang's film, "Dim Sum:A Little Bit of Heart" in 1983

Dacascos became an actor after being discovered walking down the street in San Francisco's Chinatown by Chris Lee (at that time, assistant director) and Rexall Chin (hairstylist) for director Wayne Wang. Though his first scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, he went on to establish a film and television career primarily playing martial artists. He was originally set to play as the Red Ranger, Victor Lee in Bio-Man produced by Haim Saban which never got picked up but would later evolve into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.[7]

His breakout role was in the 1993 film Only the Strong, in which he played Louis, a Capoeira master who takes a high school's potential failures and turns their lives around by teaching them the Brazilian martial art based on the West African martial art brought by slaves. In the following year, Dacascos co-starred with Party of Five's Scott Wolf as Jimmy and Billy Lee, respectively, in the movie, based on the video game, Double Dragon.

He plays the role of the Chairman of Iron Chef America and Iron Chef Australia. In the series' backstory he is the nephew of the original Iron Chef Chairman, Takeshi Kaga; the actors hold no relation in real life.

He has been featured in many action films such as Brotherhood of the Wolf, Crying Freeman and Cradle 2 the Grave, in which he squared off against Jet Li. He also performed in three video games: voice acting in Stranglehold, live acting in Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom and digitally recreating The Chairman in the Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine video game for Wii.

Dacascos was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2002 for his role in Brotherhood of the Wolf.[8] He also appeared in the television series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, which was a follow-up to the 1994 film The Crow. He also appears in the children's television show, Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, where he portrays Eubulon, also known as the Advent Master, mentor of the Kamen Riders and creator of the Advent Decks.

Dacascos plays the recurring role of Wo Fat on the CBS series, Hawaii Five-0. He portrayed Kung Lao in the second season of the YouTube series Mortal Kombat: Legacy.[9] He had a recurring role in the third season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Mr. Giyera, an Inhuman servant of Hydra who can manipulate inanimate objects.

Filmography

Dacasos (center) in a deleted scene from Dim Sum
Year Title Role Other Notes
1985 Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart n/a Film (scenes deleted)
1990 Angel Town Stoner Driver Film
1991 Dead On The Money Martial arts master TV movie
1992 American Samurai Kenjiro Sanga Film
1993 Only The Strong Louis Stevens Film
1993 Roosters Filipino's Son Film (Cameo)
1994 Dragstrip Girl Johnny Ramirez TV movie
1994 Double Dragon Jimmy Lee Film
1995 Deadly Past Leo Film
1995 Kickboxer 5: The Redemption Matt Reeves Film
1995 Crying Freeman Yo Hinomura/Freeman Film
1996 The Island of Dr. Moreau Lo-Mai Film
1996 Sabotage Michael Bishop
1997 Drive Toby Wong Film
1997 Sanctuary Luke Kovak Film
1997 DNA Dr. Ash Mattley Film
1997 Deathline (a.k.a. Redline) Merrick Film
1998 Boogie Boy Jesse Page Film
1998 No Code of Conduct Paul DeLucca Film
1999 The Base Maj. John Murphy/Cpl. John Dalton Film
2000 China Strike Force (Lei ting zhan jing) Tony Lau Film
2001 Le Pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) Mani Film
2001 Instinct To Kill (AKA The Perfect Husband) J.T. Dillon Film
2002 Scorcher Ryan Beckett Film
2003 Cradle 2 the Grave Ling Film
2005 Solar Strike (AKA Solar Attack) (USA) Lucas Foster TV movie
2005 Junior Pilot (aka Final Approach) Kato Film
2006 Only the Brave Steve "Zaki" Senzaki Film
2006 The Hunt for Eagle One Lt. Matt Daniels Video
2006 The Hunt for Eagle One: Crash Point Lt. Matt Daniels Video
2006 Nomad Sharish Film
2007 Code Name: The Cleaner Eric Hauck Film
2007 Alien Agent Rykker Film
2007 I Am Omega Renchard Film
2008 Gideon Falls Set Film
2009 Serbian Scars Peter Olsen Obilich Film
2010 Shadows in Paradise Lt. Max Forrester Film
2010 Secret of the Sultan Film
2011 The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone Cobra Film
2013 Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kung Lao Second series
2014 Roger Corman's Operation Rogue Capt. Max Randall Film
2014 The Extendables[10] *Cameo Film
2016 Showdown in Manila Matthew Wells Film, director

Television

Year Title Role Episode/Notes
1987 General Hospital Police cadet TV series
1990 New Dragnet Kevin Chow TV series
1990 Doogie Howser, MD Julian Episode: "The Grass Ain't Always Greener"
1991 The Flash Osaku Episode: "Child's Play"
1992 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Victor Lee/Red Ranger Galaxy Rangers Test Pilot[11]
1994 Tales from the Crypt Felix Johnson Episode: "The Pit"
1995 One West Waikiki Moku Episode: "Rest in Peace"
1998–99 The Crow: Stairway to Heaven Eric Draven TV series
1999 Martial Law Steven Garth Episode: "Ninety Million Reasons to Die"
2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Ananda the Monk Episode: "Felonious Monk"
2005–present Iron Chef America: The Series The Chairman TV series
2007 Stargate Atlantis Tyre Episode: "Reunion"
2008 The Legend of Bruce Lee Muay Thai boxer King Charles[12] TV series
2008 The Middleman Sensei Ping Episode: "The Sino-Mexican Revelation"
2008 Stargate Atlantis Tyre Episode: "Broken Ties"
2009 Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight Eubulon Episodes: 32–40
2009 Dancing with the Stars Himself/guest dancer Episodes" 1-7
2009 Wolvesbayne Von Griem TV movie
2008–present The Next Iron Chef The Chairman TV series
2010 Samurai Himself TV documentary
2010–2014 Hawaii Five-0 Wo Fat TV series
2010 Iron Chef Australia The Chairman TV series
2012 Iron Chef America Countdown The Chairman TV series
2014 Chicago PD (TV series) Jimmy Shi TV series
2014 Bagatami's Case John Bagatami Russian TV series
2015-2016 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Mr. Giyera[13] Recurring role; TV series
2016 Lucifer Rolf Van Zandt Episode: "Weaponizer"

Awards

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films

Year Result Award Category/Recipient
2002 Nominated Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor for: Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

References

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