The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 162

The actor Keith Carradine knew enough about marriage from his parents to be afraid of it SWORE I WOULD NEVER GET married" Keith Carradine told me "I said that for years My fa- ther's marriages were so difficult and painful that I didn't want to have a damn thing to do with marriage ever And then I fell in love!" He laughed I spoke with Carradine 42 in his dressing room on Broadway where he is starring in The Will Rogers Follies a hit musical that won six Tony awards this year among them Best Musical Easygoing modest unpretentious he is a member of a notable American acting family His father John was a great character actor who appealed in more than 200 films among them The Grapes of Wrath and Stagecoach Keith's older half-brother David has starred in more than 35 films His youngest brother Robert is also an actor And his older brother Christopher is an "imagineer" for Disney I asked what it was like growing up "Certain aspects of my personality were formed in the period beginning when I was 6" Carradine answered "My parents went through a very bitter divorce and child-custody battle and my mother or her parents would abscond with Christopher and Bobby and me and after that I never seemed to know who I belonged to or what would happen next" His mother Sonia Sorel an actress now retired was the second of John Carradine's four wives All four marriages ended unhappily "We were made wards of the court and put in juvenile hall for three months" the actor continued "I remember feeling very lonely and scared not knowing what was going on! guess I was more confused than anything else' After the divorce Keith was raised largely by his maternal grandmother in northern California seeing his father occasionally But John Carradine increasingly distanced himself from Keith as his problems with alcohol worsened his career diminished and he sank into bankruptcy Keith's mother didn't take up the slack He was in a sense orphaned "My dad was very private" Keith said "I loved him and I saw him until he died in 19881 but he never shared his feelings with me I wish he had He just didn't talk What my dad did was tell stories Unless he got drunk Sometimes then he'd have conversations with my she wasn't how she could have hurt him so much I just listened "What you experience as a kid sometimes takes a long while to get over" As Keith entered his teens he was a tall somewhat awkward boy shy an indifferent student until he entered Ojai Valley School in San Mateo "I saw there were a lot of things I could do well" he said "I got A's in art class "What you experience as a kid can take a long time to get over My parents went through a bitter divorce I never seemed to know who I belonged to or what would happen next" es I was playing music composing and doing school plays But when it came time for college I decided I wanted to be a forest ranger!" "Back then my idea of bliss was sitting alone in a fire tower with my guitar and paint box Was I I was a very young 17-year-old" In 1967 Carradine enrolled at Colorado State University as a drama major "Being an actor had always been in the back of my mind" he said "My first quarter I got the part of the king in Becket I had a spent all my time at the theater learning about makeup sets costumes and ignoring my studies By the end of the quarter I was out on probation and when that happened I went back to California and I sort of drifted I fully intended on being an actor I just didn't know what to do about it" In 1968 Carradine moved to Venice Calif which brought him into contact with David who also was living there "I really didn't know David" Carradine said "He was a lot older than me I started seeing him He took me under his Keith Carradine and his wile Sandra wing Really he adopted me" Carradine moved in with David and the actress Barbara Hershey with whom his brother was living David paid for his acting and vocal lessons got him an agent and encouraged him In 1969 Keith and David auditioned for the musical Hair in New York Keith was invited to join the cast and he eventually played the lead A year later he made his first film A Gunfight with Kirk Douglas He has since appeared in more than 40 movies among them Nashville for which the song he wrote and sang "I'm Easy" won an Oscar He has two films Alone Together and The Bachelor due out this fall "I'm real lucky" Carradine offered "I love what I do particularly doing a Broadway musical where it's a group experience in live theater I love film acting too but ultimately I don't think any of it is terribly important I think we all get paid too much for what we do Big wealth or fame never meant anything to because growing up there was never much money Or maybe it's because of my marriage" I asked what he meant "Well when you have a wife and kids it keeps things in perspective" he -p replied "You know they're more kE important than your career" 1 "You know the reason I resisted "getting married for so many years was because I didn't want to screw it up" he added "Marriage was one thing I didn't want to fail at as my dad had so many times The fact is when I finally matured enough to accept the responsibility I got married' I asked how he met his wife "I saw her across the proverbial crowded room" he answered laughing "I went to a party I saw Sandra the actress Sandra Will across the room and I said to myself 'I'm going to marry that person' This was before I'd spoken a single word to her I just knew" Sandra and Keith Carradine were married in 1982 Today they have a boy Cabe 9 and a girl Sorel 6 and live in Topanga Canyon in LA "I'll never forget the first time I saw her" he said "It was one of those moments when you know your life has changed She had the most beautiful smile and something else something ineffable And I knew we were meant to marry I think my dad would be proud of us I like to think that anyway" 111 PAGE 14 SEPTEMBER 29 1991 PARADE MAGAZINE i The actor Keith Carradine knew enough about I marriage from his parents to be afraid of it Didnt antTo Fall ct-IP- Keith Carradine and his wile Sandra SWORE I WOULD NEVER GET I wing Really he adopted me" married" Keith Carradine told Carradine moved in with David me "I said that for years My fa- and the actress Barbara Hershey ther's marriages were so difficult with whom his brother was living A 4-1 411 and painful that I didn't want to And then I fell in love!" He laughed '00--- David paid for his acting and vocal have a damn thing to do with marriage ever Al Now lessonsdghoi him an agent and en- I spoke with Carradine 42 in his dressing In 1969 Keith and David audi- 1 room on Broadway where he is starring in The Will Rogers Follies a hit musical that won six 1 A York Keith was invited to join the Tony awards this year among them Best I i tioned for the musical Hair in New i cast and he eventually played the Musical Easygoing modest unpretentious he ei 4 lead A year later he made his first is a member of a notable American acting fam- :11 'I -r'' ll film A Gunfight with Kirk Doug- Hy His father John was a great character ac- 1 A las He has since appeared in more tor who appeared in more than 200 films among than 40 movies among them Nash- them The Grapes of Wrath and Stagecoach Ir yille for which the song he wrote and Keith's older half-brother David has starred in lit a' 7 sang "I'm Easy" won an Oscar He more than 35 films His youngest brother has two films Alone Together and Robert is also an actor And his older brother The Bachelor due out this fall Christopher is an "imagineer" for Disney "I'm real lucky" Carradine of- I asked what it was like growing up fered "I love what I do particular- "Certain aspects of my personality were ly doing a Broadway musical where formed in the period beginning when I was 6" it's a group experience in live theaCarradine answered "My parents went through I ter I love film acting too but ultia very bitter divorce and child-custody battle mately I don't think any of it is ter- and my mother or her parents would abscond i Jc ribly important I think we all get with Christopher and Bobby and me and after 0 paid too much for what we do Big that I never seemed to know who I belonged wealth or fame never meant anything to or what would happen next" to because growing up His mother Sonia Sorel an actress now re- there was never much money Or tired was the second of John Canadine's four maybe it's because of my marriage" wives All four marriages ended unhappily 't fil i asked what he meant "Well "We were made wards of the court and put )0 when you have a wife and kids it in juvenile hall for three months" the actor con- iir I keeps things in perspective" he -p timed "I remember feeling very lonely and '0 replied "You know they're more scared not knowing what was going on! guess WO' kE important than your career" -d I was more confused than anything else' 1 "You know the reason I resisted After the divorce Keith was raised largely by 'getting married for so many years his maternal grandmother in northern California "What you es I was playing music composing and doing was because I didn't want to screw it up" he seeing his father occasionally But John school plays But when it came time for col- added "Marriage was one thing I didn't want Carradine increasingly distanced himself from experience as lege I decided! wanted to be a forest ranger!" to fail at as my dad had so many times The Keith as his problems with alcohol worsened a kid can take "Back then my idea of bliss was sitting alone fact is when! finally matured enough to achis career diminished and he sank into bank- in a fire tower with my guitar and paint box cept the responsibility I got married' ruptcy Keith's mother didn't take up the slack a long time to Was I I was a very young 17-year-old" I asked how he met his wife He was in a sense orphaned In 1967 Carradine enrolled at Colorado State "I saw her across the proverbial crowded "My dad was very private" Keith said "I get over My University as a drama major "Being an actor room" he answered laughing "I went to a par-loved him and I saw him until he died in 19881 ts went had always been in the back of my mind" he ty I saw Sandra the actress Sandra Will across but he never shared his feelings with me I wish parents said "My first quarter! got the part of the king the room and! said to myself 'I'm going to he had He just didn't talk What my dad did through a in Becket I had a ball! I spent all my time at the marry that person' This was before I'd spowas tell stories Unless he got drunk Sometimes theater learning about makeup sets costumes ken a single word to her I just knew" then he'd have conversations with my moth- bitter divorce and ignoring my studies By the end of the guar- Sandra and Keith Carradine were married in she wasn't how she never seemed ter I was out on probation and when that hap- 1982 Today they have a boy Cabe 9 and a girl could have hurt him so much I just listened 1 pened I went back to California and! sort of Sorel 6 and live in Topanga Canyon in LA "What you experience as a kid sometimes to know who I drifted I fully intended on being an actor I just "I'll never forget the first time I saw her" takes a long while to get over" didn't know what to do about it" he said "It was one of those moments when As Keith entered his teens he was a tall belonged to In 1968 Carradine moved to Venice Calif you know your life has changed She had the somewhat awkward boy shy an indifferent which brought him into contact with David most beautiful smile and something else some-student until he entered Ojai Valley School in or what would who also was living there "I really didn't know thing ineffable And I knew we were meant to San Mateo "I saw there were a lot of things I David" Carradine said "He was a lot older than marry I think my dad would be proud of us! could do well" he said "I got A's in art class- appen next" me I started seeing him He took me under his like to think that anyway" rE 0 ON ADER I it PAGE 14 SEPTEMBER 29 1991 PARADE MAGAZINE.