Mark Dacascos (born February 26, 1964, Honolulu, Hawaii) is an actor and martial arts expert, winning numerous karate and kung fu championships between the ages of 9 and 18. He has been featured in many action films such as Only The Strong, Double Dragon, Crying Freeman and Cradle 2 the Grave.
He has also appeared in the short-lived television series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven which was a follow-up to the 1994 film The Crow.
His father, Al Dacascos, is a Filipino martial arts instructor of Malay, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry. His mother, Moriko McVey, is of Irish and Japanese ancestry. Dacascos refers to McVey as his "natural mother" and his stepmother, martial artist Malia Bernal, as his "second mother."
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 claims an in-character relationship to Kaga, being the latter's nephew.
Dacascos became an actor after being discovered walking down the street in San Francisco's Chinatown by two men working for director Wayne Wang. Though Dacascos' first scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, he has gone on to establish a film and television career mostly playing martial artists. He also performed in two video games: voice acting in Stranglehold, and live acting in Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom. He was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2001 for his role in Le Pacte des loups.
He is married to actress Julie Condra.
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 step-mother Malia Bernal.
Son, with Julie Condra, was born on 31 December 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.
Was considered for the role of Bruce Lee (I) in the movie Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993).
He only drinks water and tea
He speaks English, German and basic Mandarin.
Special skills : Chinese Kung Fu, basic Capoeira, tumbling, surfing, snow boarding, drums.
Plays "The Chairman" in Iron Chef America on Food Network, the fictional nephew of Takeshi Kaga, "Chairman Kaga" of the original Japanese series of Iron Chef programs.
