David Carradine

Overview

Born
December 8, 1936 · Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Died
June 3, 2009 · Bangkok, Thailand (accidental asphyxiation)
Birth name
John Arthur Carradine
Nicknames
- Mr. Cool
- The Barefoot Legend
Height
5′ 11½″ (1.82 m)

Biography

David Carradine was born in Hollywood, California, the eldest son of legendary character actor John Carradine, and his wife, Ardanelle Abigail (McCool). He was a member of an acting family that included brothers Keith Carradine and Robert Carradine as well as his daughters Calista Carradine and Kansas Carradine, and nieces Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.

He was born in Hollywood and educated at San Francisco State College, where he studied music theory and composition. It was while writing music for the Drama Department's annual revues that he discovered his own passion for the stage, joining a Shakespearean repertory company and learning his craft on his feet. After a two-year stint in the army, he found work in New York as a commercial artist and later found fame on Broadway in "The Deputy" and "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" opposite Christopher Plummer. With that experience he returned to Hollywood, landing the lead in the short-lived TV series Shane (1966) before being tapped to star opposite Barbara Hershey in Martin Scorsese's first Hollywood film, Boxcar Bertha (1972). The iconic Kung Fu (1972) followed, catapulting Carradine to super-stardom for the next three years, until he left the series to pursue his film career.

That career included more than 100 feature films, a couple of dozen television movies, a whole range of theater on and off Broadway and another hit series, Kung Fu: A Legend Reborn (1992).

Carradine received the Best Actor Award from the National Board of Film Review as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Woody Guthrie in Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory (1976), and he won critical acclaim for his work as Cole Younger in The Long Riders (1980). "Kung Fu" also received seven Emmy nominations in its first season, including one for Carradine as Best Actor. In addition, he won the People's Prize at the Cannes Film Festival's "Director's Fortnight" for his work on Americana (1981), and a second Golden Globe nomination for his supporting role in North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985). Among his other notable film credits were Gray Lady Down (1978), Mean Streets (1973), Bird on a Wire (1990), The Long Goodbye (1973), The Serpent's Egg (1977) and Circle of Iron (1978). He returned to the screen in what could be his greatest performance, playing the title role in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), for which he received his fourth Golden Globe nomination. He also continued his devotion to music, and recorded some 60 tracks in various musical genres and sang in several movies. He made his home in Los Angeles with his fifth wife Annie, her four children and their two dogs.

Found dead in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 3, 2009, aged 72.
- IMDb mini biography by: frankfob2@yahoo.com (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous)

Family

Spouses
Children
Parents
Relatives

Trademark

Frequently played villainous characters
Often used his fighting and karate skills in roles
Gravelly, smoke-burnished voice
Long light brown hair

Trivia

Was an alcohol abuser for many years, until he entered rehab. He was sober at age 59.
Quentin Tarantino had originally envisioned the character "Bill" in the "Kill Bill" films as a suave "James Bond-type" man and had first approached Warren Beatty for the role. Beatty turned it down and suggested that he get David for the role.
His fourth arrest was in 1974 for attempted burglary and malicious mischief. While under the influence of peyote, a nude Carradine began wandering around his Laurel Canyon neighborhood. He broke into a neighbor's home, shattering a window and cutting his arm. He then bled all over the homeowner's piano. At some time during this episode he accosted two young women, allegedly assaulting one while asking, or demanding of her, if she was a witch. The police literally followed a trail of blood to his home. The burglary charges were dropped, as nothing was found to be missing, while Carradine pleaded "no contest" to the mischief charge and was given probation. He was never charged with assault, but the young woman sued him for $1.1 million and was awarded $20,000.
Legally changed his name from John to David, to not only become a professional actor, but also to avoid confusion with his famous father.
Knew absolutely nothing about the practice of the martial arts, at the same time he was starring on Kung Fu (1972), instead it was his dancing experience that convinced him to accept the role.

Quotes

If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
There's an alternative. There's always a third way, and it's not a combination of the other two ways. It's a different way.
[on his late friend and one-time co-star, Brandon Lee] He was always giving 110%, and it produced a light in the eyes, which is what you look for in movies.
Every day, at least six people will come up to me and say, "Your show [Kung Fu (1972)] changed my life.".
[on his lengthy acting career] It's always seemed to me like a mission. A holy one, like the Blues Brothers. It's a marathon. You can't quit; even coming in dead last has honor. Quitting doesn't. Look, I had absolute faith in my future when I was starving in New York and no one believed in me besides me and my girlfriend. I'd be stupid to lose that faith after I've become a fucking icon. Oh, yes. And I love the work.