RIP David Carradine
David Carradine in 2006 (Associated Press photo)
“Kill Bill” actor David Carradine was found dead Thursday in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand, according to the Associated Press.
The AP is citing published reports stating that it appears the 72-year-old actor committed suicide. If it’s true, it’s incredibly sad. Naturally, a police investigation is underway, so it would be unwise to jump to any conclusions at this time.
Carradine was a member of a venerable acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brothers Keith and Robert.
The Hollywood, Calif., native’s acting career included more than 100 movies and numerous TV roles. He was probably best known for playing Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American West, in the 1970s martial arts TV series “Kung Fu.”
He reprised the memorable role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine’s grandson in the 1990s syndicated series “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.”
After “Kung Fu,” Carradine starred in the 1975 cult flick “Death Race 2000.” He played famed Oklahoma songwriter Woody Guthrie in director Hal Ashby’s 1976 biopic “Bound for Glory.”
Carradine starred with Liv Ullmann in Bergman’s “The Serpent’s Egg” in 1977 and with his brothers in the 1980 Western “The Long Riders.” He also starred in 1972’s “Boxcar Bertha,” one of director Martin Scorcese’s earliest films.
Though he worked steadily, his career in the 1980s and ’90s fell into mostly low-budget projects.
But his career was revived when director Quentin Tarentino cast him in the title role of his two-part 2003-04 cinematic epic “Kill Bill.”
“There isn’t anything that Anthony Hopkins or Clint Eastwood or Sean Connery or any of those old guys are doing that I couldn’t do,” Carradine told the AP in 2004. “All that was ever required was somebody with Quentin’s courage to take and put me in the spotlight.”
The AP is reporting that Carradine was in Thailand working on a new movie, but the name of the film wasn’t available. According to his IMDB page, Carradine had one project, titled “Portland,” in pre-production, along with several projects in post-production.
Our thoughts are with Carradine’s family, friends and fans at this time.
To read the full AP story, click here. For Carradine’s IMDB page, click here.
-BAM
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