LUCIDMEDIA

David Carradine found dead in Thailand

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Thursday, 04 June 2009 14:24

Legendary Kung-Fu actor David Carradine has been found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand according to the US embassy and unnamed police sources. The same police sources also told the Thai newspaper The Nation that the actor is believed to have hanged himself in his hotel room.

Carradine was in Bangkok shooting a film called Stretch and had been in the hotel since Tuesday. According to sources, a hotel maid discovered Carradine’s body at 10 am Thursday morning. Apparently Carradine had also missed a meal with the film crew the night before.

All US embassy spokesperson Michael Turner would confirm is that Carradine was found dead and that he’s believed to have died either Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Carradine was the son of Hollywood actor John Carradine and Ardanelle Abigail, whose maiden name was actually McCool. David, along with his brothers Keith and Robert, eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and became an actor.

His perhaps best known role remains the role of Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine on the 70s TV series Kung Fu. The show ran for three seasons between 1972 and 1975, and Carradine was nominated for an Emmy award for best actor for his portrayal. He reprised his Kung- Fu role twice more, including the 90s sequel series Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues, which was shot in Toronto and co-starred Canadian actor Chris Potter as Caine’s son.

There was also success in film for Carradine, including being a featured played in classic Roger Corman movies from the 70s including Boxcar Bertha (directed by Martin Scorsese) and the original Death Race 2000, playing Frankenstein. He received a Golden Globe-nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1976 for play Woody Guthrie in Bound For Glory, and he was nominated again in 2004 for playing the titular role in Kill Bill Part 2.

David Carradine is survived by his wife Annie Bierman, and his two daughters from previous marriages, Calista and Kansas. He was 72 years old.