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THE CHAIRMAN<br />

MARK<br />

DACASCOS<br />

The Chairman is portrayed by<br />

actor and martial artist Mark<br />

Dacascos, who plays the same<br />

role on Iron Chef America.<br />

The Chairman reveals the secret ingredient<br />

and oversees Kitchen Stadium<br />

Mark Dacascos has appeared in a wide<br />

variety of feature films during the course<br />

of his career. Among his credits are the<br />

internationally acclaimed French epic<br />

Brotherhood of the Wolf, Cradle to the Grave<br />

in which he starred opposite Jet Li, Only<br />

the Strong, in which he plays a capoeira<br />

instructor, the global cult favorite Drive and<br />

the indie film, Only the Brave.<br />

Mark also starred in the period piece Nomad,<br />

which was filmed in Kazakhstan over a twoyear<br />

period.<br />

His TV roles include Eric Draven in The Crow:<br />

Stairway to Heaven and Eubulon, the Advent<br />

Master, on Kamen Rider Dragon Knight.<br />

He also competed in season nine of the US<br />

version of Dancing with the Stars. His partner<br />

was So You Think You Can Dance finalist<br />

Lacey Schwimmer. The pair was eliminated in<br />

the seventh episode.<br />

Malia Bernal, was the first woman to grace<br />

the cover of Black Belt magazine. Both are<br />

former national champions who still teach.<br />

Mark likens the energy in Kitchen Stadium<br />

to that of a martial arts tournament. “The<br />

energy in Kitchen Stadium during a battle<br />

is amazing,” he says. “My parents are both<br />

Kung-Fu teachers and I fought in Martial Arts<br />

tournaments from the age of 7-18.<br />

“The feeling that’s in the air before and during<br />

a battle is palpable, and brings me right<br />

back to my earlier years when I was the one<br />

entering the ring.”<br />

Mark is married to actress Julie Condra, who<br />

starred with him in Crying Freeman. The<br />

couple has two sons and a daughter.<br />

At home he loves to cook for his family. “My<br />

favorite dish to cook is my Aunty Gwen’s<br />

banana pancakes. My kids expect me to cook<br />

them banana pancakes every Sunday morning<br />

and I love that they expect that from me.<br />

This is Mark’s second trip to Australia. He<br />

first visited our shores in 1996 to film The<br />

Island of Dr Moreau with legendary actor<br />

Marlon Brando. “I played his first son. We<br />

shot in Cairns. It was an honour to work with<br />

Brando, who arrived two weeks late so I<br />

learnt how to scuba dive during that time. So I<br />

thank him for my extra time here.”<br />

Mark’s passion for Martial Arts began at an<br />

early age under the tutelage of his parents.<br />

His father, Al Dacascos, is the founder of the<br />

martial art Wun Hop Kuen Do and his mother,<br />

“It’s become our tradition. I love watching the<br />

kids play, and show me their drawings, or<br />

explain to me what they’ve built with Leggo<br />

while I’m cooking in the kitchen.”<br />

IRON CHEF

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