|
|
|
Cast Biographies
| Name: |
Chris Casamassa |
|
| Birthdate: |
17-1-1965 |
| Official Site: |
affiliates.thethreshold.com/casamassac |
| Fan Sites: |
Tigger
|
| Interviews: |
16/12/2000 - Subject: General
|
| Career: |
He was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Chris Casamassa studied Red Dragon karate (his father, Lou Casamassa's, style and gained a sixth dan black belt. In the American Karate Hall of Fame he is listed as Top Competitor of the 80's and 90's as well as Instructor of the Year for 1993, and he's also President and Chief Instructor for Red Dragon Karate's 25 Schools in California.
Chris Casamassa began learning martial arts when he was four years old. Chris Casamassa is a seventh degree black belt. He was the youngest person to achieve black belt at the age of eight. His father had invented the style of Red Dragon Karate. He and his entire family trained in martial arts including his mother and father. Chris, however, decided to compete on the national circuit beginning in the eighties. His agility, speed, and power came into use when he became a forms and weapons champion from 1989-1994. His favorite weapons to use are the kamas.Chris first auditioned for the role of Scorpion in the 1995 movie Mortal Kombat. He was able to do all of his fighting, some wire stunts, basic flips, and martial arts. He was going to be an extra, but Pat Johnson (the stunt coordinator) told him he might be able to be Scorpion. Having already been a fan of the games, Chris had an edge in showing them what they wanted to see. He did a form, required weapons, and did a flying kick over their heads. They were so mesmerized that they had forgotten to turn on the camera, and asked him to do it all over again! It was not long before the producers had chosen their Scorpion..He had a very rigorous fight scene with J.J. Perry (the stuntman for Johnny Cage), got to wear white contact lenses, and ended up being one of the most popular fighters in the entire movie. This is what gave Chris his jump into movies and stuntwork. It was not that long until he was asked to be the character "Red Dragon" on WMAC Masters, a show which featured well-known and talented martial artists. He won the coveted Dragon Star (which was awarded to the best fighter). From there, Chris went on to be a double for George Clooney in Batman and Robin. He got to be in the company of a great deal of other well-known martial artists including: Cheryl Wheeler, Gene LeBell, Clayton Barber, Simon and James Kim, Christine Bannon-Rodriguez and Dana Hee. Chris also did some stunt work in the movie Blade, starring Wesley Snipes. He also starred as Takeda (who became Scorpion) in the television show Mortal Kombat Conquest. Other films and TV shows in which Chris appeared are listed in the full filmography on his Resume page. Competing and winning across the U.S. and Canada over the last six years, this top ranked N.A.S.K.A. champion has over 150 national and regional Grand Champion titles. Now, Chris continues to look for movie roles and also runs his studio, Red Dragon Karate, in Covina, California. |
| Filmography: |
Mortal Kombat (1995) as Scorpion
WMAC Masters (1995) as Red Dragon
Shootfighter (1992) as Ring Lord
Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998) as Scorpion
Stunts:
Blade (1998)
Batman & Robin (1997) |
| Pictures: |
|
| Back to MK video Cast Biographies Index |
|
|
|
