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David Carradine
Age: 72 (passed away Jun. 3rd, 2009)
Height: 6' 1"
Birth Place: Hollywood, California, USA
Born: Dec. 8th, 1936
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David Carradine's Main TV Roles
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at
IMDB
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:
- To date, he is the only actor who has appeared in films directed by 'Martin Scorsese' (qv), 'Ingmar Bergman' (qv) and 'Quentin Tarantino' (qv).
- Best remembered on TV for his starring role as Kwai Chang Caine on the _"Kung Fu" (1972)_ (qv) TV series.
- His ex-wife 'Marina Anderson' (qv) tried unsuccessfully suing him in 2003 for $300,000, alleging that she got him his role in _Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)_ (qv), and that he gave no compensation in return. He was successfully represented in that matter by 'Vicki Roberts (II)' (qv).
- First came to public attention in 1963, appearing in the Armstrong Circle Theatre, on television.
- Stepmother 'Sonia Sorel' (qv) died in 2004, just 3 months before he was married to Annie Berman.
- Began studying the Martial Arts after getting cast in _"Kung Fu" (1972)_ (qv).
- He had 12 hobbies: collecting comic books, painting, sculpting, singing, dancing, karate, spending time with family, race car driving, golfing, exercising, traveling, horse breeding and reading.
- Studied drama at San Francisco State University.
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