Keith Carradine

Keith Carradine

Carradine in 2006 at Torino Film Festival
Born Keith Ian Carradine
August 8, 1949
San Mateo, California, United States
Occupation Actor
Years active 1971–present
Spouse(s)
  • Sandra Will (m. 1982–99)
  • Hayley Leslie DuMond (m. 2006)
Children 3

Keith Ian Carradine (born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's Nashville, Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series Deadwood and FBI agent Frank Lundy in Dexter. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Academy Award winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting dynasty that began with his father, John Carradine.

Early life

Keith Carradine was born in San Mateo, California. He is the son of actress and artist Sonia Sorel (née Henius), and actor John Carradine.[1] His paternal half-brothers are Bruce and David Carradine, his maternal half-brother is Michael Bowen, and his full brothers are Christopher and Robert Carradine. His maternal great-grandfather was biochemist Max Henius, and his maternal great-grandmother was the sister of historian Johan Ludvig Heiberg.[2]

Carradine's childhood was difficult. He said that his father drank and his mother “was a manic depressive paranoid schizophrenic catatonic—she had it all.”[3] His parents were divorced in 1957, when he was eight years old. A bitter custody battle led to his father gaining custody of him and his brothers, Christopher and Robert, after the children had spent three months in a home for abused children as wards of the court. Keith said of the experience, "It was like being in jail. There were bars on the windows, and we were only allowed to see our parents through glass doors. It was very sad. We would stand there on either side of the glass door crying."[4] He was raised primarily by his maternal grandmother, and he rarely saw either of his parents.[5] His mother was not permitted to see him for eight years following the custody settlement.[3]

After high school, Carradine entertained the thought of becoming a forest ranger but opted to study drama at Colorado State University. He dropped out after one semester and drifted back to California, moving in with his older half-brother, David. David encouraged Keith to pursue an acting career, paid for his acting and vocal lessons, and helped him get an agent.[5]

Career

Stage

As a youth, Carradine had opportunities to appear on stage with his father, John Carradine, in the latter's productions of Shakespeare.[6] Thus, he had some background in theater when he was cast in the original Broadway run of Hair (1969), which launched his acting career. In that production he started out in the chorus and worked his way up to the lead roles[7] playing Woof and Claude. He said of his involvement in Hair, "I really didn't plan to audition. I just went along with my brother, David, and his girlfriend at the time, Barbara Hershey, and two of their friends. I was simply going to play the piano for them while they sang, but I'm the one the staff wound up getting interested in."[8]

His stage career is further distinguished by his Tony-nominated performance, for Best Actor (Musical) as the title character in the Tony Award winning musical, the Will Rogers Follies in 1991, for which he also received a Drama Desk nomination. He won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Foxfire with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, and appeared as Lawrence in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Imperial Theater. In 2008, he appeared as Dr. Farquhar Off-Broadway in Mindgame, a thriller by Antony Horowitz, directed by Ken Russell, who made his New York directorial debut with the production.[9] In March and April 2013, he starred in the Broadway production of Hands on a Hardbody. He was nominated for the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for his work.

Film

Carradine's first notable film appearance was in director Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971). His next film, Emperor of the North Pole (1973), was re-released with a shorter title Emperor of the North. Carradine played a young aspiring hobo. The film was directed by Robert Aldrich and also starred Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. Carradine then starred in Altman's film Thieves Like Us (1974), then played a principal character, a callow, womanizing folk singer, Tom Frank, in Altman's critically acclaimed film Nashville (1975; see "Music and song writing"). He had difficulty shaking the image of Tom Frank following the popularity of the film. He felt the role gave him the reputation of being "a cad".[10]

In 1977, Carradine starred opposite Harvey Keitel in Ridley Scott's The Duellists. Pretty Baby followed in 1978. He has acted in several offbeat films of Altman's protege Alan Rudolph, playing a disarmingly candid madman in Choose Me (1984), an incompetent petty criminal in Trouble in Mind (1985), and an American artist in 1930s Paris in The Moderns (1988).

He appeared with brothers David and Robert as the Younger brothers in Walter Hill's film The Long Riders (1980). Keith played Jim Younger in that film. In 1981, he appeared again under Hill's direction in Southern Comfort. In 1994, he had a cameo role as Will Rogers in Rudolph's film about Dorothy Parker, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle. He co-starred with Daryl Hannah as homicidal sociopath John Netherwood in the thriller The Tie That Binds (1995). In 2011, he starred in Cowboys and Aliens , an American science fiction western film directed by Jon Favreau also starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde. Carradine traveled to Tuscany in 2012 to executive produce and star in John Charles Jopson's Edgar Allan Poe inspired film Terroir. In 2013, he starred in Ain't Them Bodies Saints, which won the 2013 Sundance Film Festival award for cinematography.

Music and song writing

In addition to acting, the Carradine family is musically gifted. This is particularly true of Keith. His brother, David, said in an interview that Keith could play any instrument he wanted, including bagpipes and the French horn.[7] Like David, Keith integrated his musical talents with his acting performances. In 1975, he performed a song he'd written, "I'm Easy", in the movie Nashville. It was a popular hit, and Carradine won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Original Song for the tune. This led to a brief singing career; he signed a contract with Asylum Records and released two albums – I'm Easy (1975) and Lost & Found (1978). In 1984, he appeared in the music video for Madonna's single "Material Girl". In the early 1990s, he played the lead role in the Tony Award winning musical, The Will Rogers Follies.

Television

In 1972, Carradine appeared briefly in the first season of the hit television series, Kung Fu, which starred his brother, David. Keith played a younger version of David's character, Kwai Chang Caine. In 1987, he starred in the highly rated CBS miniseries Murder Ordained with JoBeth Williams and Kathy Bates. Other TV appearances include My Father My Son (1988), a television film. In 1983, he appeared as Foxy Funderburke, a murderous pedophile, in the television miniseries Chiefs, based on the Stuart Woods novel of the same name. His performance in Chiefs earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award in the "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special" category.[11] Carradine also starred in the ABC sitcom Complete Savages, and he played Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series Deadwood.

Carradine hosted the documentary Wild West Tech series on the History Channel in the 2003–2004 season, before handing the job over to his brother, David. In the 2005 miniseries Into the West, produced by Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks, Carradine played Richard Henry Pratt. During the second and fourth seasons of the Showtime series Dexter, he appeared numerous times as FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy. Carradine is credited with guest starring twice on the suspense-drama Criminal Minds, as the psychopathic serial killer Frank Breitkopf. Other shows he appeared in include The Big Bang Theory (as Penny's father), Star Trek: Enterprise ("First Flight" episode) and the Starz series Crash. Carradine has also made two guest appearances on NCIS in 2012 and 2014. Also, in 2014, he had a recurring role as Lou Solverson in the FX series Fargo, followed by a recurring role as President Conrad Dalton on Madam Secretary.

Video Games

In 2012, Carradine lent his voice to the video game Hitman: Absolution, voicing the primary antagonist Blake Dexter.

Personal life

Keith Carradine met Shelley Plimpton in the Broadway musical Hair. She was married to actor Steve Curry, albeit separated, and she and Carradine became romantically involved. After Carradine left the show and was in California he learned that Shelley was pregnant and had reunited with Curry. He met his daughter, Martha Plimpton, when she was four years old, after Shelley and Steve Curry had divorced. He said of Shelley, "She did a hell of a job raising Martha. I was not there. I was a very young man, absolutely terrified. She just took that in, and then she welcomed me into Martha’s life when I was ready.”[3]

Carradine married Sandra Will on February 6, 1982. They were separated in 1993,[12] before Will filed for divorce in 1999.[13] The couple had two children: Cade Richmond Carradine (born July 19, 1982) and Sorel Johannah Carradine (born June 18, 1985).[5] In 2006, Will pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury for lying to a grand jury about her involvement in the Anthony Pellicano wire tap scandal. She hired, then became romantically involved with, Pellicano after her divorce from Carradine. According to FBI documents, Pellicano tapped Keith Carradine's telephone and recorded calls between him and girlfriend Hayley DuMond at Will's request, along with DuMond's parents.[3] Carradine filed a civil lawsuit against Will and Pellicano which was settled in 2013 before it went to trial.[14]

On November 18, 2006, Keith Carradine married actress Hayley DuMond, in Turin, Italy.[15] They met in 1997 when they co-starred in the Burt Reynolds film The Hunter's Moon.[16]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1971 McCabe & Mrs. Miller Cowboy
1973 Emperor of the North Pole Cigaret
1973 Idaho Transfer Arthur
1973 Hex Whizzer
1974 Antoine et Sébastien John
1974 Thieves Like Us Bowie
1974 Run, Run, Joe! Joe
1975 Nashville Tom Frank Academy Award for Best Original Song
1975 You and Me
1976 Lumière David
1976 Welcome to L.A. Carroll Barber
1977 The Duellists D'Hubert
1978 Pretty Baby Bellocq
1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Our Guests At Heartland
1979 Old Boyfriends Wayne Van Til
1979 An Almost Perfect Affair Hal Raymond
1980 The Long Riders Jim Younger
1981 Southern Comfort Pfc. Spencer
1984 Choose Me Mickey
1984 Maria's Lovers Clarence Butts
1985 Trouble in Mind Coop
1986 L'Inchiesta Tito Valerio Tauro
1988 The Moderns Nick Hart
1988 Backfire Reed
1989 Street of No Return Michael
1989 Cold Feet Monte Latham
1990 Daddy's Dyin': Who's Got the Will? Clarence
1990 The Bachelor Dr. Emil Gräsler
1991 The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Marvin Macy
1992 Rabbit Ears: Annie Oakley Storyteller Direct-to-Video
1992 CrissCross John Cross
1994 Andre Harry Whitney
1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Will Rogers
1995 The Tie That Binds John Netherwood
1996 2 Days in the Valley Detective Creighton
1997 A Thousand Acres Ty Smith
1998 Standoff Zeke Clayton
1999 The Hunter's Moon Turner
1999 Out of the Cold Dan Scott
2001 Cahoots Matt
2001 Wooly Boys Sheriff Hank Dawson
2002 Falcons Simon
2002 The Angel Doll Adjult Jerry Barlow
2002 The Outsider Noah Weaver
2003 The Adventures of Ociee Nash Papa George Nash Direct-to-Video
2004 Hair High JoJo Voice Only
2004 Balto III: Wings of Change Duke Direct-to-Video, Voice Only
2005 Our Very Own Billy Whitfield
2005 The Californians Elton Tripp
2007 Elvis and Anabelle Jimmy
2007 The Death and Life of Bobby Z Johnson
2007 All Hat Pete Culpepper
2008 Lake City Roy
2009 Winter of Frozen Dreams Det. Lulling
2010 Peacock Mayor Ray Crill Direct-to-Video
2010 The Family Tree Reverend Diggs
2011 Cowboys & Aliens Sheriff Taggart
2013 Ain't Them Bodies Saints Skerritt
2014 The Absinthe Drinkers Baron Amedeo di Magenta In production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1971 Bonanza Ern Episode: Bushwacked
1972 Man on a String Danny Brown
1972 Love, American Style Episode: Love and the Anniversary
1972–1973 Kung Fu Young Man Caine / Caine as teenager Uncredited; 2 episodes
1980 A Rumor of War Lt. Murph McCoy
1983 Chiefs Foxy Funderburke Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie[11]
1984 Scorned and Swindled John Boslett
1984 The Fall Guy Cook Episode: October the 31st
1985 Blackout Allen Devlin
1986 Half a Lifetime J.J.
1986 A Winner Never Quits Pete Gray
1987 Murder Ordained Trooper John Rule
1987 Eye on the Sparrow James Lee
1988 Stones for Ibarra Richard Everton
1988 My Father, My Son Lt. Elmo Zumwalt III
1989 The Revenge of Al Capone Michael Rourke
1989 Hallmark Hall of Fame Richard Everton Episode: Stones for Ibarra
1989 The Forgotten Captain Tom Watkins
1989 Confessional Liam Devlin
1990 Judgment Pete Guitry
1991 Payoff Peter 'Mac' McAllister
1992 Lincoln William Herndon (voice)
1994 In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness Tom Leary
1994 Is There Life Out There? Brad
1995 Trial by Fire Owen Turner
1996 Special Report: Journey to Mars Capt. Eugene T. Slader
1996 Dead Man's Walk Bigfoot Wallace 3 episodes
1997 Keeping the Promise William (Will) Hallowell
1997 Last Stand at Saber River Vern Kidston
1997 Perversions of Science Arthur Bristol Episode: Dream of Doom
1997–1998 Fast Track Dr. Richard Beckett Series Regular
1999 Outreach Dr. Vincent Shaw
1999 Night Ride Home Neal Mahler
1999 Sirens Officer Dan Wexler
1999 A Song from the Heart Oliver Comstock
1999 Hard Time: Hostage Hotel Cpl. Arlin Flynn
2000 Metropolis Quincy
2000 Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble Pierce Butler
2000 Baby John Malone
2001 The Diamond of Jeru John Lacklan
2002 American Experience Narrator Episode: Public Enemy Number 1
2002 Frasier Carl (voice) Episode: Frasier Has Spokane
2002 Arliss Lamar Scott Episode: What You See Is What You Get
2002 Street Time Frank Dugan 3 episodes
2003 Monte Walsh Chester 'Chet' Rollins
2003 Enterprise Commander/Captain A.G. Robinson Episode: First Flight
2003 Spider-Man: The New Animated Series Jonah Jameson (voice) 5 episodes
2003 Coyote Waits John McGinnis
2003–2004 Wild West Tech Host
2004 Deadwood Wild Bill Hickock 5 episodes
2004–2005 Complete Savages Nick Savage Series Regular
2005 Into the West Capt. Richard H. Pratt Episode: Casualties of War
2006 Where There's a Will Sheriff Clifford Laws
2007 American Masters Narrator Episode: Novel Reflections: The American Dream
2007 Criminal Minds Frank Breitkopf 2 episodes
2007–2009 Dexter Special Agent Frank Lundy
2008 Numbers Carl McGowan 3 episodes
2008 Crash Owen 2 episodes
2009 Law & Order Martin Garvik Episode: Take-Out
2009 Dollhouse Matthew Harding 3 episodes
2009 Damages Julian Decker 4 episodes
2010 The Big Bang Theory Wyatt (Penny's Dad) Episode: The Boyfriend Complexity
2012 Missing Martin
2014 Raising Hope Colt Palomino Episode: Anniversary Ball
2014 NCIS Mannheim Gold Episode: Rock and a Hard Place
2014 Fargo Lou Solverson 8 episodes
2014 Madam Secretary President Conrad Dalton

Video Game

Year Film Role Notes
2012 Hitman: Absolution Blake Dexter voice

Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Keith Carradine Biography (1949-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  2. ↑ "The National cyclopaedia of American biography". Google Books. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Wadler, Joyce (July 23, 2006). "Keith Carradine's Long Road to 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  4. ↑ Diehl, Digby (November 4, 1984). "Getting Personal With Keith Carradine". Boca Raton News (The Ledger). Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Rader, Dotson (September 29, 1991). "I didn't want to fail". Parade Magazine (Spartanburg Herald-Journal). Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  6. ↑ Thomas, Bob (November 9, 1986). "John Carradine says, "I'll never quit!"". The Times-News. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Takano, Hikari. "David Carradine Interview". Hikaritakano.co. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  8. ↑ Cirelli-Heurich, Julie (April 9, 2009). "Keith Carradine back on stage as a man of the theater". New Jersey On-Line. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ Harris, Art (April 30, 1978). "Nashville Role Haunts Carradine". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Awards for Chiefs at the Internet Movie Database
  12. ↑ Verrier, Richard (March 25, 2006). "Keith Carradine Sues Pellicano". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  13. ↑ Patterson, Troy; Takahashi, Corey (December 3, 1999). "Michael Jackson Sued by Concert Investors". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Keith Carradine Settles Anthony Pellicano Lawsuit". Hollywood Reporter. 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  15. ↑ Caroli, Clara (November 18, 2006). "Star Usa, nozze italiane come "must" – A Torino si sposa Keith Carradine" [Star USA, Italian wedding as a "must" – In Turin married Keith Carradine] (in Italian). la Repubblica. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  16. ↑ Peiffer, Kim; Nudd, Tim (November 21, 2006). "Deadwood's' Keith Carradine Gets Married". People. Retrieved September 24, 2013.

Further reading

External links