Keith Carradine filmography and biography
Date of birth: 8 August 1949, San Mateo, California, USA
Keith Carradine biography
It seems the second generation of acting Carradines -- David, Keith and
Robert -- are proudly continuing the family tradition and begetting a
third generation of talent. The dynasty began with veteran Hollywood
patriarch John Carradine, the son of a surgeon and a
correspondent for the Associated Press. Keith was a product of John's
second marriage to actress Sonia Sorel.
Lanky, laid-back and highly likable, Keith Ian Carradine was born in San
Mateo, California, on August 8, 1949. His parents divorced when Keith
was six. Following in the footsteps of older half-brother and mentor
David Carradine (I), Keith studied theater arts at Colorado
State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, but dropped out after only
one semester to pursue his career. Soon after, he auditioned for "Hair"
in Los Angeles and made his Broadway debut in the 1969 rock musical,
playing the role of Claude for an extended period of time. Keith next
appeared with his father in a stage production of "Tobacco Road" (1970)
in Florida.
The following year Keith broke into films with a part in the
Kirk Douglas (I)/Johnny Cash (I) western
A Gunfight. Legendary director Robert Altman (I)
was quite taken by Keith's work in the film and gave him a part in his
own movie McCabe amp; Mrs. Miller, which sparked the first
of many endeavors together. Keith also made a strong showing on TV,
making his mini-movie debut with Man on a String (1972) (TV),
and appearing with brother David in the TV movie pilot and various
episodes of the cult series "Kung Fu" (1972) {Pilot (#1.0)} as
the teenage version (seen in flashbacks) of David's character Kwai
Chang Caine.
David continued to impress in Altman's films. He played one of three
convicts in the critically-acclaimed movie
Thieves Like Us, but scored Oscar gold with his next
Altman film, Nashville -- not with his acting but with
his songwriting. His composition "I'm Easy" won both the Oscar and
Golden Globe for "Best Song". Keith also earned a Grammy nomination in
1976 for his contribution to "Nashville" in the "Best Original Score
Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special" category.
Keith first association with Altman's protégé, Alan Rudolph,
occurred filming Welcome to L.A., to which he again
contributed his music talent. Keith's rangy handsomeness and low-keyed
acting style were on full display as he increased his popularity with
appearances in such films as Ridley Scott's
The Duellists; Louis Malle's first American film,
the visually-striking Pretty Baby, that made a
controversial star out of young Brooke Shields; and the
comedy/romance An Almost Perfect Affair. One acting trick
that worked was pairing all three Carradine brothers in
The Long Riders, which recalled the infamous lives of
brothers Cole, Jim and Bob Younger, and boasted three other sets of
acting brothers (Keach, Quaid and Guest) as various other outlaw
siblings.
Keith's acting reviews throughout much of his career would be decidedly
mixed -- some would find his unassuming, introspective acting too
listless while others found it beautifully realized and understated.
Many of his best notices came from the Altman and Rudolph films,
appearing in two of Rudolph acclaimed 80s works --
Choose Me and The Moderns. He also
persevered on TV with award-worthy work. His role in the mini-series
Chiefs netted an Emmy nomination, while his recurring
role as Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood earned a Golden
Satellite nomination and his work in the made-for-TV-film
Half a Lifetime (1986) (TV) scored a CableACE nomination.
Regular series work came late in his career, starring in
Fast Track, Outreach and
Complete Savages, all of which were short-lived.
Keith's career was revitalized on the 80s and 90s stage. In addition to
strong roles in "Another Part of the Forest" (1982) and "Detective
Story" (1984), he won the Outer Critics Circle Award for his excellent
work in 1982's "Foxfire" opposite Jessica Tandy and
Hume Cronyn_ and then roped a Tony and Drama Desk nomination as
humorist Will Rogers in the Broadway musical "The Will Rogers Follies"
(1991). Most recently (2005) he starred in the American premiere of
David Hare (I)'s satire "Stuff Happens" as none other than
George W. Bush while expounding on the misguided 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Keith has been married twice. Of his two children born from his first
union to actress Sandra Will, who played opposite him in the
film Choose Me, son Cade Carradine recently
portrayed Lord Oxford in the film Richard III and
daughter Sorel Carradine has been seen on TV. Keith and Sandra
eventually divorced and he married actress Hayley DuMond in
2006; they met while appearing in the film
The Hunters Moon. Keith's daughter
Martha Plimpton, a highly gifted actress on her own, was a
product of his relationship to actress Shelley Plimpton, whom he
met when both were cast members in "Hair" back in 1969.
Keith continues to write and compose. More recently he hosted The
History Channel's Wild West Tech and appeared on a
season of the hit cable series Dexter.
Keith Carradine trivia
- His recording of "I'm Easy" reached #17 on the US charts in August,
1976.
- Son of John Carradine and Sonia Sorel.
- Half-brother of David Carradine (I) and Michael Bowen (I).
- Brother of Robert Carradine.
- Daughter, actress Martha Plimpton, is from his relationship with
Shelley Plimpton.
- Uncle of actress Ever Carradine and Kansas Carradine.
- (2001) Longtime girlfriend is Hayley DuMond. Met while filming
Hunters Moon with Burt Reynolds (I).
- Plays "Wild Bill Hickock" in Deadwood and played
"Buffalo Bill Cody" in Wild Bill.
- Was nominated for Broadway's 1991 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for
playing the title character Will Rogers (I) in "The Will Rogers
Follies."
- He and Hayley DuMond wed the same day as Tom Cruise and
Katie Holmes celebrated their wedding in a small city near Rome.
- For his role on Deadwood, he was trained by renowned
Hollywood Gun Coach Thell Reed, who has also trained such actors
as: Val Kilmer, Kurt Russell (I), Sam Elliot,
Girard Swan, Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt, and
Leonardo DiCaprio.
- Father, with Sandra Will, of a boy named Cade Carradine
(b. July 19th 1982) and a girl named Sorel Carradine (b. June
18th 1985).
- Following his divorce from ex-wife Sandra Will, she became
romantically involved with Los Angeles private eye, Anthony Pellicano.
It was Pellicano who helped her gathered evidence to help tip the
divorce her way with Keith by placing illegal wiretaps on his phone.
She later plead guilty and received a jail sentence.
- Daughter Martha Plimpton was conceived while Keith and actress
Shelley Plimpton were appearing in the rock musical "Hair" on
Broadway in 1969. Born in 1970, the relationship was over by the time
Martha was born and Keith did not meet her until she was four years
old.
- Originally, it was his half-brother David Carradine (I) who
pursued a role in the Broadway musical "Hair" in 1969. At his audition
he brought Keith along to play the piano. Keith ended up winning the
part and stayed with the show for six months.
- He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at
6233 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
- His paternal grandmother, Genevieve Winifred Richmond, was one of the
first female brain surgeons in North America.
- Direct descendant of Dutch diamond merchant Kiliaen van Rensselaer, who
settled in Rensselaerwyck, NY, now identified as Albany, NY.
- On Criminal Minds he played Frank Breitkopf, a serial
killer that had been killing for 30 years. On Dexter,
he played Frank Lundy, who hunted a serial killer that had been killing
for 30 years.
Keith Carradine quotes
- They [awards] don't mean anything to me...until I win one.
- The best advice I ever got was from Robert Altman, who said, "Kid, I'm
going to give you a piece of advice. Don't take advice from anybody."