Obituary: David Carradine
Obituary by Jack Foley
POPULAR TV and film star David Carradine has died at the age of 72, his publicist has confirmed.
The actor, who was best known for roles in TV’s Kung Fu and in the Quentin Tarantino revenge flick Kill Bill, was found in a hotel room in Bangkok on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. He had been in Thailand shooting his latest film, Stretch.
Born in Hollywood, California on December 8, 1936, David was the eldest son of legendary character actor John Carradine and quickly established himself as part of the well-known acting family that also included his brother, Keith.
At the age of seven, his parents divorced and he was raised between the two of them, growing up in boarding schools on both of America’s coasts.
But he quickly developed a passion for acting and embarked on a career that would see him appear in more than 100 films.
However, he was best known early on in his career for the iconic small screen role of Kwai Chang Caine in the TV series Kung Fu, which ran from 1972 to 1975.
He reprised the role for a TV film in the mid-‘80s and played Caine’s grandson the following decade in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.
The TV series ensured he became a cult figure to countless viewers and helped him to break into movies, where he worked with some of Hollywood’s leading directors, including Ingmar Bergman and Martin Scorsese.
Carradine was nominated as Best Actor for his role as folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1976’s Bound for Glory, which was directed by Hal Ashby, and also contributed memorable performances to films as diverse as The Long Riders, cult hit Death Race 2000 [as the fiersome driver Frankenstein], and Mel Gibson hit Bird on a Wire.
However, during the early ’80s many of the films were low-budget vehicles and it wasn’t until Tarantino cast him as Bill in the two-part Kill Bill movies that he shot back to prominence.
Commenting on his relationship with the director, he told a London press conference at the time of the film’s release: “One of the things [about working with him] is that it’s difficult to actually stop and talk to him, whether he’s shooting or not, it’s like talking to a runaway train, because he’s always in so many places at once.
“And when he starts to focus on you and direct you, it’s really a privilege, because you actually get a one-on-one with him.”
He also revealed that he’d been confident of a career revival but added: “I really didn’t think I’d be on social security!”
His most recent film performance came alongside Jason Statham in Crank: High Voltage, while he made frequent TV appearances in shows such as Medium and Alias.
Married five times and divorced four, Carradine is survived by his widow, Annie Bierman, whom he married in 2004, and three children, including actresses Calista and Kansas.
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