Keith Carradine
- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
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
child, born 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, 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/Johnny Cash
western A Gunfight (1971). Legendary
director Robert Altman was quite
taken by Keith's work in the film and gave him a part in his own movie
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971),
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),
and appearing with brother David in the TV movie pilot and various
episodes of the cult series
Kung Fu (1972)
as the teenage version (seen in flashbacks) of David's character Kwai
Chang Caine.
Keith continued to impress in Altman's films. He played one of three
convicts in the critically-acclaimed movie
Thieves Like Us (1974), but
scored Oscar gold with his next Altman film,
Nashville (1975) -- 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. (1976), 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 (1977);
Louis Malle's first American film, the
visually-striking Pretty Baby (1978),
that made a controversial star out of young
Brooke Shields; and the comedy/romance
An Almost Perfect Affair (1979).
One acting trick that worked was pairing all three Carradine brothers
in The Long Riders (1980), 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 (1984) and
The Moderns (1988). He also
persevered on TV with award-worthy work. His role in the mini-series
Chiefs (1983) netted an Emmy
nomination, while his recurring role as Wild Bill Hickok in
Deadwood (2004) earned a Golden
Satellite nomination and his work in the made-for-TV-film
Half a Lifetime (1986)
scored a CableACE nomination. Regular series work came late in his
career, starring in
Fast Track (1997),
Outreach (1999) and
Complete Savages (2004), 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's
satire "Stuff Happens" as none other than George W. Bush while
expounding on the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Keith continues to write and compose. Hosting The
History Channel's
Wild West Tech (2003) and
appeared on a season of the hit cable series
Dexter (2006) and had a recurring role on the hit sitcom Charity, Dr. Finlay (1965). More recently he played the role of President Conrad Dalton in Madam Secretary (2014) starring Téa Leoni's Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord.
Millennium films include Wooly Boys (2001), a top-billed role in Falcons (2002), The Adventures of Ociee Nash (2002), Our Very Own (2005), Bobby Z (2007), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Family Tree (2011), After the Fall (2014), Dakota's Summer (2014), Bereave (2015), A Quiet Passion (2016) and The Old Man & the Gun (2018).
Keith has been married twice. Of his two children born from his first
union to actress Sandra Ann Will Carradine, who played
opposite him in the film
Choose Me (1984), son
Cade Carradine recently portrayed Lord
Oxford in the film Richard III (2007)
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 Hunter's Moon (1999).
Keith's daughter Martha Plimpton, a
highly gifted actress on her own, was a child from his relationship to
actress Shelley Plimpton, whom he met
when both were cast members in "Hair" back in 1969.
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
child, born 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, 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/Johnny Cash
western A Gunfight (1971). Legendary
director Robert Altman was quite
taken by Keith's work in the film and gave him a part in his own movie
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971),
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),
and appearing with brother David in the TV movie pilot and various
episodes of the cult series
Kung Fu (1972)
as the teenage version (seen in flashbacks) of David's character Kwai
Chang Caine.
Keith continued to impress in Altman's films. He played one of three
convicts in the critically-acclaimed movie
Thieves Like Us (1974), but
scored Oscar gold with his next Altman film,
Nashville (1975) -- 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. (1976), 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 (1977);
Louis Malle's first American film, the
visually-striking Pretty Baby (1978),
that made a controversial star out of young
Brooke Shields; and the comedy/romance
An Almost Perfect Affair (1979).
One acting trick that worked was pairing all three Carradine brothers
in The Long Riders (1980), 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 (1984) and
The Moderns (1988). He also
persevered on TV with award-worthy work. His role in the mini-series
Chiefs (1983) netted an Emmy
nomination, while his recurring role as Wild Bill Hickok in
Deadwood (2004) earned a Golden
Satellite nomination and his work in the made-for-TV-film
Half a Lifetime (1986)
scored a CableACE nomination. Regular series work came late in his
career, starring in
Fast Track (1997),
Outreach (1999) and
Complete Savages (2004), 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's
satire "Stuff Happens" as none other than George W. Bush while
expounding on the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Keith continues to write and compose. Hosting The
History Channel's
Wild West Tech (2003) and
appeared on a season of the hit cable series
Dexter (2006) and had a recurring role on the hit sitcom Charity, Dr. Finlay (1965). More recently he played the role of President Conrad Dalton in Madam Secretary (2014) starring Téa Leoni's Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord.
Millennium films include Wooly Boys (2001), a top-billed role in Falcons (2002), The Adventures of Ociee Nash (2002), Our Very Own (2005), Bobby Z (2007), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Family Tree (2011), After the Fall (2014), Dakota's Summer (2014), Bereave (2015), A Quiet Passion (2016) and The Old Man & the Gun (2018).
Keith has been married twice. Of his two children born from his first
union to actress Sandra Ann Will Carradine, who played
opposite him in the film
Choose Me (1984), son
Cade Carradine recently portrayed Lord
Oxford in the film Richard III (2007)
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 Hunter's Moon (1999).
Keith's daughter Martha Plimpton, a
highly gifted actress on her own, was a child from his relationship to
actress Shelley Plimpton, whom he met
when both were cast members in "Hair" back in 1969.