Overview (3)

Mini Bio (1)

Mark Dacascos is an actor, director, martial artist, and television personality. Whether seen on the big screen or small, playing the good guy or the bad, Mark has been making audience stand up and take notice for many years.



This May, Mark will be seen in highly anticipated film John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum playing the lethal assassin, Zero, opposite Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Asia Kate Dillon, and Laurence Fishburne.



Later this summer Mark can be seen in Roger Avary's film Lucky Day in the scene stealing role of Louis opposite Nina Dobrev and Crispin Glover and the new Netflix series Wu Assassins opposite Katheryn Winnick.



Dacascos has appeared in over 40 feature films including the haunting French film and box office success, Brotherhood of the Wolf, nemesis to Jett Li in Cradle to the Grave, and cult classic action film, Drive. He has also reprised the iconic role of Wo Fat in the hit CBS series Hawaii 5-0, Mr. Giyera on the hit television show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as the star of the series The Crow. Mark has appeared in numerous television shows such as Chicago P.D., Lucifer, and the hugely popular Hallmark franchise, The Perfect Bride and it's follow up The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells.



Mark's turn as The Chairman on the Food Network's hit show, Iron Chef America launched him into pop icon status with over 200 episodes and counting on the Food Network. He also took his turn on the dance floor transforming his martial arts moves into dancing magic on ABC's hit show, Dancing With the Stars. Many millions have also enjoyed watching Mark in the hugely popular and uber successful web series Mortal Kombat Legacy and the international web series The Way.



Besides starring in television and films, Mark achieved a career milestone by directing his first feature film titled Showdown in Manilla starring Casper Van Dien and Tia Carrere.



The darkly exotic, multi-lingual, multi-skilled Dacascos is a mix of Japanese, Filipino, Spanish, Irish, and Chinese heritages. He was born in Hawaii and attended school in Germany. He is married and the proud father of 3 children.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Mary Putnam Greene

Spouse (1)

Trade Mark (1)

Cropped black hair and lean, muscular physique



Trivia (29)

World renowned Martial Artist, among his achievements:



1982 -- European Kung Fu and Karate Championships -- First Place -- Lightweight -- Brown Belt Division



1982 -- Italian Kung Fu and Karate Championships -- First Place -- Lightweight -- Brown Belt Division



1982 -- Hamburg Karate Championships -- First Place -- Junior Division



1980 -- Hamburg Karate Championships -- First Place -- Junior



1980 -- Long Beach Internationals -- First Place -- Brown Belt Division -- Forms



1973 -- Long Beach Internationals -- First Place -- Pee Wee





His father, Al Dacascos , is a martial arts instructor.



Birth mother is Moriko McVey. Raised by ex-stepmother, Malia Bernal



Son, with Julie Condra , was born on December 31, 2000 in Oahu, Hawaii. He was named Makoa Dacascos



Al Dacascos (father) is of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry; Moriko McVey (mother) is of Irish and Japanese ancestry.

He speaks English, German, basic Mandarin and French.



Special skills: Chinese Kung Fu, basic Capoeira, tumbling, surfing, snow boarding, drums.





Plays "The Chairman", on Iron Chef America: The Series (2004) on the Food Network, the fictional nephew of Takeshi Kaga, "Chairman Kaga" of the original Japanese series of Iron Chef programs.

Trained in Wun Hop Huen Do (It's a combination fist-arts style that derives from Kajukenbo (Karate, Judo Jujitsu, Kenpo, and Chinese & Western Boxing) and Chin Na, Shui Jao, Tai Chi and Capoeira.



Mark was educated at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, where he majored in Chinese and drama.





Wore a wig for his role of "Eric Draven" on the TV series, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998).



He met his wife Julie Condra during the shooting of Crying Freeman (1995) where they fittingly played a couple falling in love. They have two sons, Makoa and Kapono, and a daughter, Noelani.



He participated in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars (2005), partnering with Lacey Schwimmer . They made it to week 7 where Lacey unfortunately got sick, forcing Mark at short notice to dance with a new partner, Anna Trebunskaya , leading to a low score and eventual elimination.

Hometown is Honolulu, Hawaii.





Has finished shooting one movie due this year [ Only the Brave (2006)]; working on another [_Rahan (2006)_]. [April 2005]

Westlake Village, California [May 2009]





His first acting role was in Dim Sum Take Out (1988) but was cut out of the final version.

Personal Quotes (5)

[on filming "The Crow"] Things were a bit intense during the filming of the pilot. There was a lot of pressure on everybody. Several executives were on the set for the first few days of shooting and here I was still trying to figure out the physicality of The Crow and of Eric. The cast and crew were also getting to know each other and trying to jell. Fortunately we did and, I thought, rather quickly.



[on being cast as Eric Draven] Ed Pressman and one of his partners approached my representatives and asked if I would possibly doing the series. And I wanted absolutely. So I had a full on screen test with wig and make-up, actually it was a 4 hour screen test. I did three different things and a week later they called up and said I had the part. That's a fantastic role because I think Eric Draven has so much heart and Brandon did a good job portraying him.



[on his favorite movie] All around, all time, I would still have to say...".Enter the Dragon". "Enter the Dragon" is probably the number one. And then as far as beautiful movement I think that Jet Li's "Shaolin Temple" was extraordinary. And then, "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow", Jackie Chan, still love that one.



[on "Drive"] There were many changes in the producers 's version, which is very different from the director's cut by Steve Wang, that I prefer. They know I do not like their version, I told them. Even if the director's cut won at the Toronto Asian action movie Festival and in Japan, they insisted on their own version. I do not understand why. They changed the music. They cut out a whole part of the story, which means that you do not understand the motivations of the characters. They just put all the action scenes all together, without even thinking of the coherence. The original version was dealing with a whole story, with a very touching sensitivity.



While I was doing Brotherhood of the Wolf, I had many conversations with the producer Sammy Hadida, who I worked with on "Only the Strong" and "Crying Freeman", about a possible sequel to Only the Strong, but he is very busy and the rights are tied up with a couple of other producers and Twentieth Century Fox.

