 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
David Carradine | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Carradine in 1987 | |
| Born | John Arthur Carradine Jr. (1936-12-08)December 8, 1936 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 3, 2009(2009-06-03) (aged 72) Bangkok, Thailand |
| Body discovered | Swissôtel Nai Lert Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1963–2009 |
| Works | Filmography |
| Spouses | |
| Partner | Barbara Hershey (1968–1975) |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | John Carradine |
| Relatives |
|
| Family | Carradine |
| Website | david-carradine |
David Carradine (/ˈkærədiːn/KARR-ə-deen; bornJohn Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor, director, and producer, whose career included over 200 major and minor roles in film, television and on stage.[1][2] He was widely known to television audiences as the star of the seriesKung Fu (1972–1975), playingKwai Chang Caine, a peace-lovingShaolin monk traveling through theAmerican Old West.[3]
A member of theCarradine family of actors, he got his break playingAtahuallpa in the 1965Broadway production ofThe Royal Hunt of the Sun. He became known for hisB movie and martial arts roles, particularly as Big Bill Shelly inMartin Scorsese'sBoxcar Bertha (1972),Frankenstein inDeath Race 2000 (1975), the titular character inCannonball (1976), Kaz Oshay inDeathsport (1978), Detective Shepherd inQ – The Winged Serpent (1982), and Rawley Wilkes inLone Wolf McQuade (1983). He portrayedWoody Guthrie in the biopicBound for Glory (1976), which earned him aGolden Globe nomination forBest Actor – Motion Picture Drama. He also received Golden Globe nominations forKung Fu and for the television miniseriesNorth and South (1985), as well as anEmmy Award nomination, also forKung Fu.
Carradine experienced a resurgence after playing the title character inQuentin Tarantino'sKill Bill duology (2003–2004).[1] The role of Bill earned him his fourth Golden Globe nomination and he won theSaturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.[4] On April 1, 1997, Carradine received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.
Throughout his life, Carradine wasarrested and prosecuted for a variety of offenses, which often involvedsubstance abuse.[5] Films that featured Carradine continued to be released after his death. In addition to his acting career, Carradine was a director and musician. Influenced by hisKung Fu role, he studied martial arts, particularlyShaolin quan.[6][7] In 2014, Carradine was inducted into theMartial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.[8]
On June 4, 2009, he was found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand. The cause of death was determined to be self induced asphyxiation as the result of hanging himself while masturbating. At the time of the discovery of his body, he was found dead dressed in a wig with a rope tied around his neck and genitals.[9]
Carradine was born John Arthur Carradine Jr.,[citation needed] on December 8, 1936, inHollywood, California, the eldest child of actorJohn Carradine and his wife Ardanelle Abigail (née McCool) Carradine.[citation needed] He was a half-brother of Bruce,Keith, Christopher, andRobert Carradine, and an uncle ofEver Carradine andMartha Plimpton, most of whom are also actors. Primarily of Irish descent,[10] he was a great-grandson ofMethodist evangelical authorBeverly Carradine[11]: 5 and a grandnephew of artist Will Foster.[11]: 17 [12]: 1 Called "Jack" by his family, Carradine had a turbulent childhood. His parents divorced and repeatedly remarried; he was born during his mother's second marriage of three, and his father's first of four. At the time of Carradine's parents' marriage, his mother already had a son by her first husband, whom John Carradine adopted. John Carradine had planned to have a large family, but later he discovered his wife had gotten two abortions without his knowledge, and afterward amiscarriage rendered her unable to carry a baby to term.[11]: 47–49
Against this backdrop of marital discord, Carradine almost died by suicide[13] by hanging at the age of five. He said the incident followed his discovery that he and his elder half-brother, Bruce, had different biological fathers. Carradine added, "My father saved me, and then confiscated my comic book collection and burned it—which was scarcely the point."[11] After three years of marriage, Ardenelle filed for divorce from John, but they remained married for five more years.[14] They divorced in 1944, when Carradine was seven. His father left California to avoid court action in thealimony settlement.[15][16][17] After the couple had a series of court battles over child custody and alimony, which at one point landed John in jail,[16] Carradine joined his father in New York City; by this time, his father had remarried. On December 25, 1947, Carradine appeared in a live telecastadaptation ofA Christmas Carol, with his father in the role ofEbenezer Scrooge.[18][19][11]: 72 For the next few years, Carradine spent time in boarding schools, foster homes, and reform school.[13] He also often accompanied his father to summer theater throughout the Northeast. Carradine spent time in Massachusetts, and a winter milking cows on a farm in Vermont.[11][20]
Eventually, Carradine returned to California, where he graduated fromOakland High School. He attendedOakland Junior College (nowLaney College) for a year before transferring toSan Francisco State College, where he studied drama and music theory,[11][13] and wrote music for the drama department's annual revues while juggling menial jobs, a fledgling stage acting career, and his studies. After he dropped out of college, Carradine spent some time with the "beatniks"[21] of San Francisco'sNorth Beach and southern California's Venice. During this time he collected unemployment insurance and sold baby pictures. He was also prosecuted for disturbing the peace.[11]
Despite an attempt tododge the draft,[11] in 1960, Carradine was inducted into theUnited States Army,[13] where he drew pictures for training aids. That Christmas he married his high school sweetheart, Donna Lee Becht. While stationed atFort Eustis, Virginia, he helped establish a theater company that became known as the "entertainment unit".[22] He met fellow inducteeLarry Cohen, who later cast him inQ, The Winged Serpent.[23] He also facedcourt-martial for shoplifting.[24] In 1962, Donna gave birth to their daughter, Calista. Carradine was honorably discharged[25] after two years of active duty.
Upon leaving the Army, Carradine became serious about acting. He was advised to change his name to avoid confusion with his famous father. In an interview from 2005 Carradine says his father encouraged him going into acting: "The first thing I ever did outside of school, which was a production of Romeo & Juliet, he came up from Hollywood to San Francisco to see it. And right after he just sort of opened up to me with all this advice. He became very proud of me."[26]
In 1963, he made his television debut on an episode ofArmstrong Circle Theatre, "Secret Document X256". Several other television roles followed, including appearances onWagon Train,East Side/West Side,Arrest and Trial,The Virginian,Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre andThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour. In 1964 Carradine appeared as "The Utah Kid" onThe Virginian in the episode "The Intruders". Carradine got a contract with Universal.[27] The studio gave him his feature film debut inTaggart (1964), a Western based on aLouis L'Amour novel. It also cast him inBus Riley's Back in Town (1965).[27]
In May 1964, Carradine joined the cast of the Broadway playThe Deputy byRolf Hochhuth, replacingJeremy Brett.[28][29] When the play ended he was still under contract to Universal, and resumed TV work. He spent a lot of time playing, in his words, "greenhorns in Westerns and villains in thrillers".[27] Carradine guest-starred inThe Trials of O'Brien in episodes that were cut together and released theatrically asToo Many Thieves (1967), andCoronet Blue.[30]
Carradine's first big break came with his second Broadway part inThe Royal Hunt of the Sun, a play byPeter Shaffer about the destruction of theInca civilization byconquistadorFrancisco Pizarro. Carradine playedAtahuallpa oppositeChristopher Plummer as Pizarro.[31] The play premiered in October 1965 and was a solid hit, running for 261 performances.[32] Carradine said of this performance, "Many of the important roles that I got later on were because the guy who was going to hire me was in that audience and had his mind blown."[22] For that part, Carradine won aTheatre World Award for Best Debut Performance in 1965.[33] He was also named as one of Theatre World's Promising Personalities from Broadway and Off Broadway.[34] (The play wasfilmed in 1968 with Plummer taking Carradine's part.)[citation needed]
Carradine left the production ofRoyal Hunt of the Sun in May 1966 to take up an offer to star in the TV seriesShane, a 1966 Western based upona 1949 novel of the same name,previously filmed in 1953.[35] Carradine played the title role oppositeJill Ireland. "I know I have some kind of vision that most actors and directors don't have", he said, "so it becomes a duty to exercise that vision. It's a responsibility, a mission."[36] The show only lasted 17 episodes, despite good reviews.[35] Carradine said his career was "rescued" when he was cast inJohnny Belinda (1967).[27] He was in demand as a supporting actor, mostly in Westerns:The Violent Ones (1967),Heaven with a Gun (1969),Young Billy Young (1969) forBurt Kennedy,The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969) with Kennedy,The McMasters (1970), andMacho Callahan (1970).[37][38][39]
In 1969, he performed off-Broadway inThe Transgressor Rides Again, and the next year guest-starred inThe Name of the Game.[40] Carradine guest-starred oppositeDavid McCallum in a 1971 episode ofNight Gallery, "The Phantom Farmhouse". Also that year, Carradine played a hippie reprobate oppositeSally Field in the well-received television filmMaybe I'll Come Home in the Spring.[41] He also guest-starred in episodes ofGunsmoke andIronside. He was unhappy playing villains, and told his agent he wanted to stop, which led to his not working in Hollywood for a year.[42] He was cast in a musical,The Ballad of Johnny Pot, but fired two days before opening night on Broadway.[43]
In 1972, he co-starred as "Big" Bill Shelly in one ofMartin Scorsese's earliest films,Boxcar Bertha, which starredBarbara Hershey, his partner at the time. This was one of severalRoger Corman productions in which he appeared.[21] It was also one of a handful of acting collaborations he did with his father. He made his feature directorial debut with the filmYou and Me, starring alongside Hershey and his brothers Keith and Robert. It was shot in 1972, between making theKung Fu pilot and the series, but released in 1975.[citation needed]
For three seasons, Carradine starred as the half-Chinese/half-white AmericanShaolin monkKwai Chang Caine in theABC hit TV seriesKung Fu (1972–1975). The role was nominated for anEmmy and aGolden Globe Award.[4] Along withBruce Lee films,Kung Fu helped popularize the martial arts andEastern philosophy in the west. Carradine's character also brought the term "grasshopper" (referring to an apprentice) into popular culture.[44]
Although the choice of a non-Asian to play the role of Kwai Chang Caine stirred controversy, the show provided steady employment for a number of Asian-American actors.[45] In addition toKeye Luke andPhilip Ahn, who held leading roles in the cast as Caine's Shaolin masters,Robert Ito,James Hong,Benson Fong,Richard Loo, andVictor Sen Yung frequently appeared in the series. A second controversy was over whose idea the series had been.Bruce Lee's widow claimed he had come up with the idea of a wandering monk in the Old West, butEd Spielman, the series' creator, insisted that the concept was his own idea from years before Lee became a star.[46] In an interview from 2005 Carradine disputed Bruce Lee's claim: "That's mythology. I think the way that story started was that they got it mixed up withThe Silent Flute. Not sure how that happened."[26] In his authoritative biographyBruce Lee: A Life,Matthew Polly clarifies the issue ofBruce Lee's involvement, concluding that the claim was the result of his not being cast for the leading role, and that he had no participation in the creation of the series.[47][48]
Kung Fu ended due to several factors. It has been said that Carradine left the show after sustaining injuries that made it impossible for him to continue.[49][50] While Carradine mentioned it when talking about his work in film,[51] other causes involved were Carradine's burnout, changes in the writing and shooting that altered the show's quality, and changes in the time slot, which led to the audience's decline.[52]: min.13:03 Finally, the main reason was Carradine's decision to quit to pursue a career as a film actor[11]: 400–402 and filmmaker.[44]: 19 Also, the bad publicity from a 1974 peyote-related incident involving Carradine affected the ratings;Radames Pera described it as sabotage,[53] which Carradine himself acknowledged had been detrimental to the series.[11]: 393
DuringKung Fu's original run, Carradine made cameo appearances in Scorsese'sMean Streets (1973) (alongside his brother Robert Carradine) andRobert Altman'sThe Long Goodbye. He also directed several episodes ofKung Fu, a short musical calledA Country Mile (1973), and a film,You and Me (also known asAround).[11] Carradine's annual salary on the show was reportedly $100,000.[54][55]
Immediately afterKung Fu, Carradine accepted the role of the racecar driver Frankenstein inDeath Race 2000 (1975), he said, to "kill the image of Caine and launch a movie career."[56] The role had originally been offered toPeter Fonda, who was not available. The film, directed byPaul Bartel and produced byRoger Corman, became a cult classic forNew World Pictures.[57] Carradine got 10% of the profits and made significant money from it.[58] Carradine was tapped to playDuke Leto Atreides inAlejandro Jodorowsky's abortedDune adaptation in the late 1970s. Carradine starred in the 1975 television movieLong Way Home and another car chase film for Bartel and New World,Cannonball! (1976). Also in 1976, he earned critical praise for his portrayal of folksingerWoody Guthrie inHal Ashby'sBound for Glory, for which he won aNational Board of Review Award for Best Actor[59] and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award[4] andNew York Film Critics Circle Award. Carradine worked very closely with his friend, singer-songwriter-guitarist Guthrie Thomas, on the film. Thomas assisted Carradine in the guitar style of the period and the songs that had been chosen to be in the film.[60]
Carradine made a third car chase film for Corman,Thunder and Lightning, in 1977. Next came the role of the alcoholic, unemployed trapeze artist Abel Rosenberg inThe Serpent's Egg (1977). Set in post-World War I Berlin and also starringLiv Ullmann,The Serpent's Egg is one of the only two English-language films by famed Swedish directorIngmar Bergman, the second beingThe Touch.[61] Carradine replaced Richard Harris, who was too ill to do it.[62] Bergman said of his leading man, "I don't believe in God, but Heaven must have sent him."[5] Carradine said that he and Bergman had plans to collaborate further, but Bergman's affection for him waned when he passionately protested a scene that included the butchering of a horse. The altercation caused Carradine to question the fate of Bergman's soul while the director declared, "Little Brother, I am an old whore. I have shot two other horses, burned one and strangled a dog."[5][11]
Back in Hollywood, Carradine co-starred withCharlton Heston inGray Lady Down (1978) and did another film for Corman,Deathsport (1978), an unofficial sequel toDeath Race 2000.[63][64] When Bruce Lee died in 1973, he left an unreleased script he developed withJames Coburn andStirling Silliphant,The Silent Flute. The script becameCircle of Iron (1978), and in the film, Carradine played the four roles originally intended for Lee. Carradine considered this among his best work.[65][66] Carradine madeMr. Horn (1979) for TV, playingTom Horn based on a script byWilliam Goldman.[67] After doing a fifth Corman action film,Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider (1979), directed bySteve Carver, Carradine playedPaul Gauguin for TV inGauguin the Savage (1980).[68]
InThe Long Riders (1980), Carradine starred with his half-brothersKeith andRobert Carradine as theYounger Brothers. The ensemble cast included three other brother/actor groupings:Stacy andJames Keach;Dennis andRandy Quaid,[13] andChristopher andNicholas Guest. The film, which was about theJesse James gang, gave Carradine, who playedCole Younger, one of his most memorable roles.Walter Hill directed.[69] Carradine played a pilot inCloud Dancer (1980) and was the villain inHigh Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane (1980). He did a car chase film in Africa,Safari 3000 (1980).[70]
Carradine returned to the director's chair withAmericana (1981) (which was actually the completion of the earlier filmAround), which he also starred in, produced and edited. The film took ten years to complete due to difficulty in financing. It featured several of his friends and family members in supporting roles. It won the People's Choice Award at theDirector's Fortnight atCannes[disputed –discuss], but failed to achieve critical support or adequate distribution.[11][71] He also directed the unreleasedMata Hari, an epic that starred his daughter, Calista.[38]: 49
Carradine guest-starred on an episode ofDarkroom and starred inLarry Cohen'sQ (1982). He made a cameo inTrick or Treats (1982) and was the villain inLone Wolf McQuade (1983) withChuck Norris. Carradine returned to guest-starring on regular TV series likeThe Fall Guy,Airwolf,Fox Mystery Theater andPartners in Crime. He starred in television films likeJealousy (1984) andThe Bad Seed (1985), and was still in demand as the star of cheaper action films such asThe Warrior and the Sorceress (1984) andOn the Line (1984).[38]: 50–52
Carradine attracted notice in 1985 when he appeared in a major supporting role inNorth and South, a miniseries about theAmerican Civil War, as the evil and abusive Justin LaMotte. He was nominated for aGolden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.[4]
Carradine reprised his role as Caine inKung Fu: The Movie (1986) for TV, which he also produced. It was the acting debut of Bruce Lee's son,Brandon Lee. He starred in the low-budget action filmBehind Enemy Lines (1986) and reprised his role as LaMotte inNorth and South, Book II, telecast in May 1986.[72]
Carradine continued to be in demand for action films, either aimed at the video market or for TV:Oceans of Fire (1986),Armed Response (1986) forFred Olen Ray,The Misfit Brigade (1987), andSix Against the Rock (1987) as Bernie Coy. Carradine also guest starred onAmazing Stories andNight Heat and he was inI Saw What You Did (1988),Run for Your Life (1988),Warlords (1988) (again for Ray),Tropical Snow (1989), andThe Cover Girl and the Cop (1989). He received some good reviews forSonny Boy (1989), on which he sang on the soundtrack.[citation needed]
Carradine starred in three films for Roger Corman:Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (1989), directed byCharles B. Griffith;Nowhere to Run (1989), directed byCarl Franklin; andCrime Zone (1990) directed byLuis Llosa; Carradine co-produced the latter. He was also inSundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989), directed byAnthony Hickox;Try This One for Size (1989),Open Fire (1989), andFuture Force (1989), which he helped produce.[39][38]: 50–52 [73]
In 1989, he starred in the low-budget direct-to-video Swedish action filmThe Mad Bunch directed byMats Helge Olsson, making him one of three actors (includingHeinz Hopf andTor Isedal) who have starred in both an Ingmar Bergman film and an Olsson film.[74] He followed it withNight Children (1989),Crime of Crimes (1989) (which he produced),Animal Protector (1989),Dune Warriors (1990),Martial Law (1990) andThe Trace of Lynx (1990).[citation needed]
Carradine appeared in his first studio film in a long time withBird on a Wire (1990) and he guest-starred on television shows includingMatlock,The Young Riders, andThe Ray Bradbury Theatre. However he predominantly worked as the star of straight to video action films:Future Zone (1990), a sequel toFuture Force,Fatal Secret (1990),Midnight Fear (1991),Project Eliminator (1991) (which he helped produce),Deadly Surveillance (1991), andBrotherhood of the Gun (1991).[39][38]: 50–52
Carradine had supporting roles inThe Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) and appeared inCapital Punishment (1991) andKarate Cop (1991). Carradine was inBattle Gear (1991) andEvil Toons (1992) for Ray, and had support parts inDouble Trouble (1992),Roadside Prophets (1992),Night Rhythms (1992),Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992), andDistant Justice (1992).[citation needed]
In a 2005 interview, Carradine talks about a period in his career in which he worked as much as he could.Psychotronic Magazine gave him an award for the "Most Working Actor in the Universe". Carradine commented that he received it "because I did nineteen movies in eighteen months. And they actually missed a couple!" He further stated, "That whole era of independent movies died. They clotted the market. I didn't know how to get out of that, so I did [the second series of Kung Fu]".[26]
Carradine played the part of the grandson and namesake of the original Kwai Chang Caine inKung Fu: The Legend Continues, a new TV series that ran from 1993 to 1997, and consisted of 88 episodes. Carradine also worked as a producer and directed an episode. He starred inKill Zone (1993),Dead Center (1993) for Steve Carver,Code... Death: Frontera Sur (1993), andBitter End (1993). He was featured in a Lipton Tea commercial, which first aired during the broadcast ofSuper Bowl XXVIII. The advertisement paid tribute toThe Three Stooges while satirizing his role inKung Fu.[75] In 1997, Carradine was awarded a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. The presenters played an April Fool's Day prank on him by first unveiling a star bearing the name of his brother,Robert.[76]
WhenKung Fu: The Legend Continues ended, Carradine went intoLast Stand at Saber River (1997), an episode ofDr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,Lost Treasure of Dos Santos (1997),The Rage (1997),The Good Life (1997),Macon County Jail (1997),Nosferatu: The First Vampire (1997),Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998),The New Swiss Family Robinson (1998),Shepherd (1998),The Effects of Magic (1998),Kiss of a Stranger (1998),Sublet (1998),Martian Law (1998) for Hickox,Lovers and Liars (1998),Light Speed (1998), andKnocking on Death's Door (1999). In 1999, he made an appearance as the demon Tempus in the Season 1 finale episode ofCharmed. He guest starred on shows such asAcapulco H.E.A.T.,Just Shoot Me!, andFamily Law. Carradine starred inNatural Selection (1999),Full Blast (1999),Zoo (1999),The Puzzle in the Air (1999),Dangerous Curves (2000) (starring Robert),Down 'n Dirty,Nightfall (2000), andBy Dawn's Early Light (2000).[39]
In 2001, he appeared in the episode "The Serpent" of the syndicated TV seriesQueen of Swords as the sword-wielding banditEl Serpiente filmed atTexas Hollywood studios in Almeria, Spain, home of manySpaghetti Westerns. Carradine was increasingly becoming a support actor in films:Largo Winch: The Heir (2001),G.O.D. (2001),Warden of Red Rock (2001),The Donor (2001),Out of the Wilderness (2001),The Defectors (2001),Wheatfield with Crows (2002) andThe Outsider (2002). He guest-starred inThe Nightmare Room,Jackie Chan Adventures,Titus, andKing of the Hill. David also made a guest appearance in episode 11 ofLizzie McGuire as himself, which gave him an opportunity to work with his brother Robert, who played Lizzie's father in the series.[77]
Carradine enjoyed a revival of his fame when he was cast inQuentin Tarantino's sequentialKill Bill films,Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) andKill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). Among those who thought his portrayal of Bill, the assassin extraordinaire, would earn him an Academy Award nomination wasScott Mantz ofThe Mediadrome, who said, "Carradine practically steals every scene he's in with confident gusto, and he gives a soulful performance that should all but ensure a spot on next year's Oscar ballot."[78] Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper each hadKill Bill Vol. 2 on their top ten list for Academy Awards predictions.[79] Although the films received no notice from the Academy, Carradine did receive aGolden Globe nomination[4] and aSaturn Award for Best Supporting Actor[13] for his portrayal of Bill.
By 2006, he had become the spokesperson forYellowbook, a publisher of independent telephone directories in the United States. He also appeared asClockwork, the ghost of time, in two episodes of the animated series,Danny Phantom. He had a cameo inEpic Movie (2007) and was inTreasure Raiders (2007),How to Rob a Bank (and 10 Tips to Actually Get Away with It) (2007),Fall Down Dead (2007) (which he helped produce),Permanent Vacation (2007), andFuego (2007). Carradine played Buckingham in a version ofRichard III (2007) which he helped produce, and was in a studio film when he supportedRob Schneider inBig Stan (2007). He did another comedy,Homo Erectus (2007), and was inBlizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter (2007) andHell Ride (2008). He starred in the 2008 TV filmKung Fu Killer, in which he played a Chinese martial arts master very similar to hisKung Fu series "Caine" persona—his character in this film named "White Crane", and mostly referred to or addressed as "Crane", frequently pronounced in a manner that minimizes the R sound.[citation needed]
Carradine's last performances included a role in the music video of theJonas Brothers' songBurnin' Up (2008),Camille (2008),Last Hour (2008),Break (2008),The Golden Boys (2008),Kandisha (2008),Archie's Final Project (2009),Absolute Evil - Final Exit (2009),Road of No Return (2009) with Michael Madsen,Crank: High Voltage (2009), andAutumn (2009).[citation needed]
Carradine, who once received an award for being the hardest-working actor in Hollywood,[80][11] still had approximately a dozen films inpost-production at the time of his death in 2009. Most of these roles werecameos or small parts in independent,direct-to-DVD productions. Among them are a horror film,Dark Fields (2009); an action film,Bad Cop (2009); and a Western,All Hell Broke Loose (2009); andDetention (2010), a thriller. He made one last film for Corman,Dinocroc vs. Supergator (2010) directed byJim Wynorski. Ken Tucker, writing forEntertainment Weekly, said the film was "impeccable" and "goofy fun all the way".[81] He was also inSix Days in Paradise (2010) with Madsen;Money to Burn (2010);Stretch (2011);Highway to Hell (2012); andThe Banksters, Madoff with America (2013).[citation needed]
Carradine also appeared in a minor role inYuen Woo-ping's Chinese kung fu epicTrue Legend; they had first met while filmingKill Bill. Yuen eulogized Carradine on theTrue Legend website, describing him as a "good friend". Yuen said of Carradine:
He is among the first Hollywood actors to perform Chinese martial arts on the big screen. In real life he is also a genuine kung fu fan, and knowstai chi,qi gong andChinese medicine. Same as I, people shall always remember his role as Caine,the grasshopper, inKung Fu, in the '70s, which was a really unforgettable performance. I feel both great honour and regret thatTrue Legend is one of David Carradine's last works.[82]
He appeared in the music video for the song "Devil" byOurs, with images originally shot four years before for the unreleased short film8 For Infinity, directed by Michael Maxxis.[83] His final released film was the cult independent filmNight of the Templar (2013), directed by his friend Paul Sampson, in which Carradine wielded a sword (katana) for the final time on screen. There are several references in the film that coincidentally relate to the circumstances of Carradine's death, includingauto-erotic asphyxiation.
Carradine co-produced a full-length documentary aboutluthierStuart Mossman, which has been identified as the actor's last film appearance.[84]The Legend of Stuart Mossman: A Modern Stradivari, directed byBarry Brown, premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, in February 2010.[85] It featured David, Keith, and Robert Carradine performing their music on Mossman guitars. Mossman had appeared with Carradine inCloud Dancer (1980), which Brown also directed, and inThe Long Riders.[84] On the small screen, Carradine appeared in a guest spot on the television seriesMental that was broadcast just days after his death. On October 3, 2009,Celebrity Ghost Stories premiered on theBiography Channel with an interview of Carradine discussing his belief that his closet was haunted by his wife's deceased previous husband. The segment, which was described as "eerie", was filmed four months before his own death.[citation needed]
Carradine knew nothing of the practice ofkung fu at the time he was cast in the role of Kwai Chang Caine; instead, he relied on his experience as a dancer for the part.[86][21] He also had experience in sword fighting,boxing, andstreet fighting on which to draw.[23] For the first half of the original series, David Chow provided technical assistance with kung fu, followed byKam Yuen, who became Carradine's martial arts instructor. He never considered himself a master of the art, but rather an "evangelist" of kung fu.[6][7] By 2003, he had acquired enough expertise in martial arts to produce and star in several instructional videos ontai chi andQigong. In 2005, Carradine visited theShaolin Monastery inHenan, China, as part of the extra features for the third season of theKung Fu DVDs. During his visit, the abbot,Shi Yǒngxìn, said that he recognized Carradine's important contribution to the promotion of the Shaolin Monastery and kung fu culture, to which Carradine replied, "I am happy to serve."[87]
In addition to his acting career, Carradine was a musician. He sang and played the piano, the guitar, and the flute, among other instruments.[88] In 1970, Carradine played one half of aflower powerbeatnik duo in the season 4Ironside episode, "The Quincunx", performing the songs "I Stepped on a Flower", "Lonesome Stranger", and "Sorrow of the Singing Tree". He recorded an album titledGrasshopper, which was released in 1975.[citation needed] His musical talents were often integrated into his screen performances. He performed several of Woody Guthrie's songs for the filmBound for Glory. For theKung Fu series, he made flutes out of bamboo that he had planted on the Warner Brothers lot. He later made several flutes for the filmCircle of Iron, one of which he later played inKill Bill.[89] Carradine wrote and performed the theme songs for at least two films that he starred in,Americana andSonny Boy. The first line from theSonny Boy theme, "Paint", which he wrote while filmingAmericana in 1973, is engraved on his headstone.[90] He wrote and performed several songs forAmerican Reel (2003) and wrote the score forYou and Me.[88] He and his brother, Robert, also performed with a band, theCosmic Rescue Team[88] (also known asSoul Dogs). The band performed primarily in small venues and at charity benefits.[citation needed]
Shortly after beingdrafted into theU.S. Army in 1960, Carradine proposed to Donna Lee Becht (born September 26, 1937),[91] whom he had met when they were students atOakland High School; they married on Christmas Day that year. She lived with him off-base when he was stationed atFort Eustis in Virginia. In April 1962, she gave birth to their daughter Calista. After Carradine's discharge, the family lived in New York while Carradine established his acting career, appearing onBroadway inThe Deputy[88] andRoyal Hunt of the Sun. The marriage dissolved in 1968, whereupon Carradine left New York and headed back to California to continue his television and film careers.[citation needed]
In 1968, Carradine met actressBarbara Hershey while the two of them were working onHeaven with a Gun.[11] The pair lived together until 1975.[92] They appeared in other films together, including Martin Scorsese'sBoxcar Bertha. In 1972, they appeared together in a nudePlayboy spread, recreating some sex scenes fromBoxcar Bertha.[93] That year, Hershey gave birth to their son, Free (who, when aged nine, changed his name to Tom, much to his father's chagrin).[11] The couple's relationship fell apart around the time of Carradine's 1974 burglary arrest,[94] when Carradine began an affair withSeason Hubley, who had guest-starred onKung Fu. Carradine was engaged to Hubley for a time, but they never married.[11][13]
In February 1977, Carradine married his second wife Linda (née Linda Anne Gilbert) in a civil ceremony inMunich, Germany, after filmingThe Serpent's Egg.[95][96] Gilbert was previously married toRoger McGuinn ofThe Byrds.[5] Their daughter, Kansas, was born in 1978. Carradine's second marriage ended in divorce, as did the two that followed: he was married to Gail Jensen from 1986 to 1997, and to Marina Anderson from 1998 to 2001.[39]
On December 26, 2004, Carradine married his fifth wife, widow Annie Bierman[91] (née Anne Kirstie Fraser; born December 21, 1960) at the seasideMalibu home of his friendMichael Madsen.Vicki Roberts, his attorney and a longtime friend of his wife's, performed the ceremony. With this marriage he acquired three stepdaughters, Amanda Eckelberry (born 1989), Madeleine Rose (born 1995), and Olivia Juliette (born 1998) as well as a stepson, actor Max Richard Carradine (born 1998).[92] In one of his final interviews, Carradine stated that at 71, he was still "in excellent shape", attributing it to a good diet and having a youthful circle of friends. "Everybody that I know is at least 10 or 20 years younger than I am. My wife Annie is 24 years younger than I am. My daughter asks why I don't hang with women my age and I say, 'Most of the women my age are a lot older than me!'"[97]
In the late 1950s, while living in San Francisco, Carradine was arrested forassaulting a police officer. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge ofdisturbing the peace. While in the Army, he facedcourt-martial on more than one occasion for shoplifting.[11][98] After he became an established actor and had changed his name to David, he was arrested in 1967 for possession ofmarijuana.[99]
In 1974, at the height of his popularity inKung Fu, Carradine was arrested again, this time for attempted burglary and malicious mischief.[100][101] While under the influence ofpeyote, Carradine began wandering nude around hisLaurel Canyon neighborhood. He broke into a neighbor's home, smashing a window and cutting his arm,[11] and accosted two young women, allegedly assaulting one while asking her if she was a witch.[11] Carradine pleadedno contest to the mischief charge and was given probation.[102] He was never charged with assault, but the young woman sued him for $1.1 million[103] and was awarded $20,000.[104]
In 1980, while in South Africa filmingSafari 3000 (also known asRally), which co-starredStockard Channing, Carradine was arrested for possession of marijuana.[105][106] He was convicted and given a suspended sentence.[107] He claimed that he had been framed by theapartheid government, as he had been seen dancing withTina Turner.[11]
During the 1980s, Carradine was arrested at least twice for driving under the influence of alcohol, once in 1984[108] and again in 1989. In the second case, Carradine pleaded no contest.[109] Of this incident, theLos Angeles Times reported: "Legal experts say Carradine was handed a harsher-than-average sentence, even for a second-time offender: three years' summary probation, 48 hours in jail, 100 hours of community service, 30 days' work picking up trash for theCalifornia Department of Transportation, attendance at a drunk driving awareness meeting and completion of an alcohol rehabilitation program."[110]
In 1994, in Toronto, filmingKung Fu: The Legend Continues, Carradine was arrested for kicking in a door at theSkyDome while attending aRolling Stones concert. He later claimed that he was trying to avoid being swarmed by fans.[111]
Carradine arrived inBangkok, Thailand, on May 31, 2009, to shoot the filmStretch. He was last seen alive on June 3, but he could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the film crew.[112]
On June 4, Carradine was found dead in his room at theSwissôtel Nai Lert Park Hotel. He was 72 years old.[113] Lieutenant Teerapop Luanseng and Lieutenant Colonel Pirom Jantrapirom said that Carradine was found naked and had hanged himself in the room's closet with a curtain cord. Police said he had been dead for at least 12 hours and found no sign of struggle.[114][115][116] Thai police suggested the death might have been from accidental suffocation, since there was no suicide note and he was found with a rope tied to both his neck and his genitals.[117] Pornthip Rojanasunand, director of Thailand's Central Institute of Forensic Science, said it may have been a case ofauto-erotic asphyxiation.[117] Thai authorities conducted the first autopsy on Carradine shortly after his death, and stated on June 8 that it would take a month to determine how he died, although a Thai police colonel toldReuters that the likely cause was asphyxiation. His funeral was held on June 13.[118] On July 1, 2009,Michael Baden, themedical examiner hired by Carradine's family to conduct his autopsy, stated that the actor died from asphyxiation, and that the way Carradine's body was bound allowed him to rule out suicide.[119]
Carradine is an actor ideal for the part. He looks like a young god, projects his specially stylized diction affectingly, and has superb control of his bodily movements. The moment of astonishment when he discovers the existence of writing is a sight to behold; and, when he lies dead for minutes on end, I'd swear he didn't take a single breath.
You take a lot of chances in movies. Look in these Kung Fu movies, I have broken or dislocated virtually every finger and every toe that I have. I've crushed my ribs. I've smashed my shoulder. I've destroyed a ligament in the knee. I could go on.
Acting is a dangerous profession. And when you consider I've made 68 features plus all the television and everything, you just got to expect that I'm going to hurt myself now and then. It's sort of like being a football player or something.
Fox News: What caused "Kung Fu" to end?
Pera: We had Nielsen boxes on the backs of television sets throughout the Midwest, and they would determine who was watching what at any given time. This was before the internet. And back then, Nielsen ratings meant everything. David Carradine, who admitted this himself, said he always had a love/hate relationship with fame and success in general. He was a countercultural type of person but was also under contract with major corporations. That became a problem for him and he just got tired. He didn't want to do it anymore. So he sabotaged it.
