David Carradine's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Kung Fu Kwai Chang … Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Kwai Chang … North and South Justin LaMo… Celebrity Paranormal Project David Carra… Son of the Dragon Bird Wild West Tech Host Family Law Andrew Weller Shane Shane The Family Holvak Craw

Main Movie Roles 2009 - The Golden Boys 2009 - Crank: High Voltage 2008 - Last Hour 2008 - Hell Ride 2008 - Death Race 2007 - Fall Down Dead 2007 - Epic Movie 2007 - How to Rob a Bank 2007 - Big Stan 2007 - Camille 2007 - Being Michael Madsen 2006 - The Last Sect 2005 - Brothers in Arms 2005 - Miracle at Sage Creek 2004 - Hair High 2004 - Kill Bill Vol. 2 2003 - Kill Bill Vol. 1 1992 - Waxwork II: Lost in Time 1990 - Bird on a Wire 1989 - Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat 1989 - Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II 1988 - Warlords 1987 - The Misfit Brigade 1986 - Bad Girls in the Movies 1984 - The Warrior and the Sorceress 1983 - Lone Wolf McQuade 1980 - The Long Riders 1978 - Gray Lady Down 1978 - Deathsport 1977 - The Serpent's Egg 1976 - Cannonball! 1976 - Bound for Glory 1975 - Death Race 2000 1973 - The Long Goodbye 1973 - Mean Streets 1972 - Boxcar Bertha 1969 - Heaven with a Gun 1969 - Young Billy Young

BIOGRAPHY:

David Carradine was the eldest son of legendary character actor John Carradine and he presided over an acting family that included brothers Keith Carradine, and Robert Carradine as well as his daughters Calista Carradine, 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 (I). With that experience he returned to Hollywood, landing 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 superstardom 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: The Legend Continues (1992) (TV). 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 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 (1983), and a second Golden Globe nomination for his supporting role in "North and South" (1985).

Among his other most 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 recently returned to the screen in what could be his greatest performance to date, playing the title role in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) (Miramax), for which he received his fourth Golden Globe nomination.

Carradine also continued his devotion to music, and he recorded some 60 tracks from various musical genres and sung in several movies. He made his home in Los Angeles with his fifth wife Annie, her four children and their two dogs.

He was found dead in Bangkok, Thailand on 3rd June 2009 aged 72.


TRIVIA:

• Was a close friend of 'Larry Cohen (I)' (qv) since they served together in the military.
• Was a Democrat.
• Was also a friend of 'Jane Seymour (I)' (qv).
• Appeared in more than 200 films and television dramas.
• Stepmother 'Sonia Sorel' (qv) died in 2004, just 3 months before he was married to Annie Berman.
• Was sent to a reform establishment for a while, and spent time in foster homes in the Massachusetts.
• Convicted of drunk driving in October 1989. Served 48 hours in jail and did community service.
• He was born in Hollywood, but he was brought up all over the country, mostly by boarding school teachers and reform school wardens.