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Mark Dacascos
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Mark Dacascos
Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor, martial artist, and television personality. A 4th-degree black belt in Wun Hop Kuen Do, he is known for his roles in action-films, including as Louis Stevens in Only the Strong (1993), the title-role in Crying Freeman (1995), Mani in Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), for which he was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, the antagonist Ling in Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), Sharish in Nomad (2005), and as the assassin Zero in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019).
On television, Dacascos is known for his portrayal of Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-0 (2010-2020), and for serving as "The Chairman" of Food Network's Iron Chef America series since January 2005, a role he reprised in 2022 on Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Dacascos' other roles include Kung Lao in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Eric Draven on The Crow: Stairway to Heaven and Eubulon on Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight. He also competed in the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars.
In 2023, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.
Dacascos was born on February 26, 1964, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, Al Dacascos, is of Filipino descent and was born in Hawaii; he is a martial arts instructor and the founder of Wun Hop Kuen Do. He was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame in 1999. His mother, Moriko McVey-Murray, is Irish of Japanese descent. In the History Channel presentation Samurai, Dacascos revealed that many members of his mother's family were killed in the bombing of Hiroshima. His stepmother is award-winning martial artist Malia Bernal. He attended Los Angeles Valley College, where he was on the gymnastics team. He also attended Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. He is proficient in his father's style of martial arts, Wun Hop Kuen Do, and holds a 4th degree black belt. He has also extensively studied Muay Thai, capoeira with Amen Santo, and Wushu. Growing up, Dacascos was inspired by Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.
During his upbringing he lived a time in Hamburg, Germany, where he learned to speak German.
Dacascos became an actor after being discovered walking down the street in San Francisco's Chinatown by Chris Lee (assistant director) and Rexall Chinn (hairstylist), who at the time were working for director Wayne Wang. He was cast in Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, and though his scenes were cut from the final film, 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, an adaptation of Choudenshi Bioman produced by Haim Saban. The show was not picked up at the time, but the concept evolved into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
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 struggling students and turns their lives around by teaching them the Brazilian martial art based on the ritual combat technique of Angola. In the following year, Dacascos co-starred with Party of Five's Scott Wolf as Jimmy and Billy Lee, respectively, in the film Double Dragon, based on the video game with the same name.
He plays the role of the Chairman on Iron Chef America, Iron Chef Australia and Iron Chef: Mexico. In the series' backstory, Dacascos's character is the nephew of the original Iron Chef Chairman, Takeshi Kaga.
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Mark Dacascos
Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor, martial artist, and television personality. A 4th-degree black belt in Wun Hop Kuen Do, he is known for his roles in action-films, including as Louis Stevens in Only the Strong (1993), the title-role in Crying Freeman (1995), Mani in Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), for which he was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, the antagonist Ling in Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), Sharish in Nomad (2005), and as the assassin Zero in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019).
On television, Dacascos is known for his portrayal of Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-0 (2010-2020), and for serving as "The Chairman" of Food Network's Iron Chef America series since January 2005, a role he reprised in 2022 on Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Dacascos' other roles include Kung Lao in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Eric Draven on The Crow: Stairway to Heaven and Eubulon on Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight. He also competed in the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars.
In 2023, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.
Dacascos was born on February 26, 1964, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, Al Dacascos, is of Filipino descent and was born in Hawaii; he is a martial arts instructor and the founder of Wun Hop Kuen Do. He was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame in 1999. His mother, Moriko McVey-Murray, is Irish of Japanese descent. In the History Channel presentation Samurai, Dacascos revealed that many members of his mother's family were killed in the bombing of Hiroshima. His stepmother is award-winning martial artist Malia Bernal. He attended Los Angeles Valley College, where he was on the gymnastics team. He also attended Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. He is proficient in his father's style of martial arts, Wun Hop Kuen Do, and holds a 4th degree black belt. He has also extensively studied Muay Thai, capoeira with Amen Santo, and Wushu. Growing up, Dacascos was inspired by Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.
During his upbringing he lived a time in Hamburg, Germany, where he learned to speak German.
Dacascos became an actor after being discovered walking down the street in San Francisco's Chinatown by Chris Lee (assistant director) and Rexall Chinn (hairstylist), who at the time were working for director Wayne Wang. He was cast in Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, and though his scenes were cut from the final film, 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, an adaptation of Choudenshi Bioman produced by Haim Saban. The show was not picked up at the time, but the concept evolved into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
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 struggling students and turns their lives around by teaching them the Brazilian martial art based on the ritual combat technique of Angola. In the following year, Dacascos co-starred with Party of Five's Scott Wolf as Jimmy and Billy Lee, respectively, in the film Double Dragon, based on the video game with the same name.
He plays the role of the Chairman on Iron Chef America, Iron Chef Australia and Iron Chef: Mexico. In the series' backstory, Dacascos's character is the nephew of the original Iron Chef Chairman, Takeshi Kaga.
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