Mark Dacascos: "I was very upset by the sudden stop of the Crow after 22 episodes only. My wife claims it is my best role"

Serie Mania Nr. 17, June/July 2001
Interview by Jean-Jacques Jelot-Blanc

Translation from French to Englisch by P. Letellier and M. Koehler

Until the release of "Le Pacte des Loups", the American-Philippino Mark Dacascos was not very lucky : his movies were a flop and his tv series "The Crow" was cancelled without any reason. Since then, everything got much better.

How did you make your debuts in cinema?
I was just walking one day in the San Franscico Chinatown, I met a producer who was looking for a successor to Jean-Claude Van Damme, for a "Kickboxer 5" movie. Then from the "bad guy" roles, I went to the "good guy" supporting roles, there are some I am very proud of, as my panther-man in "The island of Dr Moreau", with Marlon Brando.

Then, there was "the Crow" !
No, not at once, before that I had to stand some failure : first the successive ones in "Only the Strong" and "Double Dragon"   and even "Crying Freeman"   where I was already directed by Christophe Gans (the director of "Pacte des Loups"), which has never been released in the US. I was reduced to play ninjas in B movies until "The Crow".

Hard to come after Brandon Lee ?
I think that taking over a role is like in a fight. Even if you meet the same opponent, the fight is never the same. I feel being very different from Brandon even if, in real life, we appreciated each other a lot. Just before he died (in 1994), we had a very long talk on the phone. I considered Bruce Lee, his father, a master in our discipline.

People talk about the return of "The Crow", again?
Yes, I am ready for some sacrifices concerning cinema to take over the role of Eric Draven again. We worked very hard that this second chance is not the last one. I was very upset because of the sudden stop of the series after 22 episodes only. Julie, my wife, claims that this is my best role.

What is the origin of your name?
From my father' side it's Hispano-Chinese but the orthography is in reality Da Coscos. My father changed Da Coscos -"foreman" in Greek according to my grandfather- into Dacascos, which is much more scenic. Concerning my mother she is Irish-Japanese.

Your calm face is always impressing!
Don't trust that. In real life I am almost Latin, very jovial, very gesticulating. Funny is, that I always get static roles, apart from the fights.

For which one have you ever been doubled?
Apart from when the assurance demands it in the contract I execute all my own stunts. Remember that in my wild days, I worked as bouncer in Los Angeles and there, believe me, I never needed a stuntman.