Keith Carradine seems to have already done it all.
He won an Oscar for his songwriting ("I'm Easy"), been nominated for a Tony (Will Rogers Follies), and starred in plenty of memorable movies including "Nashville," "The Long Riders" and "Thieves Like Us."

So what's left? A hit television show.

Now he's got that too as a new cast member on the popular Showtime drama "Dexter" about a serial killer (played by Michael C. Hall) who only knocks off bad people. Carradine's character is an FBI agent brought in to investigate after dozens of the victims bodies are found in the bay.

"It's the best kind of show to step into (laughs)," Keith said recently. "If you're invited to join a show for a season and it could be a hit show, yeah, it's great. "They had this role and somebody thought of me, they called me up and sent me a script and I said ,'Yeah!'"

And Carradine's character even strikes up a surprising romance.

"I pretty much interact with all the regulars on the show but I seem to be forming a partnership with Dexter's sister (Jennifer Carpenter) and there seems to be a blossoming romance."

She's a younger woman?

"Very much so," confirms Keith, who is 58. "It's a big scandal."

All of the season's episodes are already shot so the current writers strike has not impacted production of the show. But Carradine feels deeply about what is happening and was among the famous actors who joined picket lines Tuesday in support of striking writers.

"It's just bad for everyone and I hope it comes to resolution quickly," he said. "I'm an actor and I know there's this big audience out there for reality TV but I'm not a part of that audience. I like to be told a story and I like to be told a story by people who are good at it. It all starts with the writers."

I was curious. Keith has been in so many movies over the years, if he had to pick just five of them for some kind of time capsule, which would they be?

He did not hesitate: "'Thieves Like Us," "Southern Comfort," "The Duelist," "Nashville," "The Long Riders" (co-starring his father John and brothers David and Robert) and "Pretty Baby."

I point out that he has named six.

"I know," he said. "I'm lucky, I've been in some really fine films and worked with some wonderful directors."