David Carradine has died aged 72.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8083479.stm
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David Carradine has died aged 72.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8083479.stm
Forgive me, really, but while a loss to his family, and RIP and condolances, yet another part of me says "thank G'd, at least he won't be riding the kung fu wagon any longer"
People seem to forget that when he got the role in the original Kung Fu show he said "hey, I'm just an actor, and I don't believe or practice any of this crap, it's just a role"
Then, on hard times, he became "mr kung fu"
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...ent&id=6847033
rip grasshopper
BANGKOK (AP) -- Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He says Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.
The Web site of the newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room and is believed to have committed suicide.
Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brother Keith.
The man struggled with some demons, that's for sure.
RIP.
You know i have a real hard time buying into that horsesh!t. I guess we will never know since he was in Bangkok thailand and found Hung in a hotel room. i mean maybe i am in denial but it just doesnt seem plausable. Anyway, i think its a real bummer. I was and still am a Fan of Carradine,despite LKFmdouchebag's comments.
i feel we have lost a hollywood icon and i am bummed about it.
RIP Mr carradine, was a pleasure to get to talk with you when i did all those years ago.
Peace, TWS
I figures someone who does fake kung fu would love the guy who started the fake kung fu trend :rolleyes:
willow, go fuck yourself :D
At times like this I tend to remember people in a personal way:
Movie wise, he was cool in Kill bill.
TV wise, Kung fu was at best OK and Kung Fu the legend continues was horrific !
Now, on a real personal note, I had the pleasure of escorting him out of 2 night clubs in my time as a bouncer, he was a mean drunk and BOTH times took a swing at me, LOL !
The last time he said, "Hey, I know you, you threw me out last time, mother****er!"
Priceless !
:D
'Kill Bill' star Carradine found dead
BANGKOK (AP) -- Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room and was believed to have committed suicide.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.
The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room and is believed to have committed suicide.
Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brother Keith.
In all, he appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby.
But he was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the TV series "Kung Fu," which aired in 1972-75.
He reprised the role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine's grandson in the 1990s syndicated series "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues."
He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga "Kill Bill."
Not to take this off topic, but Bill Mummy kicked the crap out of a guy in a bar I used to go to in my home town, had cowboy boots on and really gave it to the guy. Not gonna go down as a high point in technical fighting history, but the guy he kicked the crap out of has forever been "the guy who got his ass kicked by the kid from lost in space."
I guess you have memory issues and that's fine, its typical of your ilk. I dont do the fake kung fu anymore and havent done it since 2003. long since evolved out of that BS. New path and a new way of doing things, however i still dont take sh!t from guys like you who, i might add, has gotten into more dumbfukery on these boards than i ever will.
As for hanging on Carradine, i could really care LESS about his ideology over the years regarding kung fu and such, i am always entertained by actors but never influenced by them. I will say that he defineately sparked my first interests in kung fu. loved the series. However if i were to really say who in the realm of film really got me going into the martial arts it would have to be Bruce lee and Jacky chan. As for influences it has always been Sensei Ueshiba Moreihai and his writings.
Anyway,,just an FYI for those who may be still locked into the past. Good to see the boards again.
Peace,TWS
RIP carradine...
While I don't like most of what he did, there is no denying he became an icon for the arts.
David Carradine did a lot for the perception of the martial arts in the West. If nothing else, he was one who presented them as a vehicle for growth and as a last resort when faced with injustice.
He was, like many actors before him, typecast after this role, but if you see him in movies such as Kill Bill, part 2; he was quite an actor.
Rest In Peace, Mr. Carradine. Rest in Peace.
Well, at least Bruce Lee's spirit can now rest peacefully....
RIP.
oh, and RIP David C too.
no, apparently YOU have memory issues because you seem to forget that Carradine TRASHED Chinese martial arts for DECADES until he couldn't get a job and then suddenly became a kung fu master, selling horrible tai chi video tapes
"hey, screw you, you're ugly, you're dumb, I hate you, but can you lend me some money?" :rolleyes:
His videos, his second KF show, his books were all insulting to anyone who did real CMA and to anyone with a brain
He was an opportunist who jumped on a bandwagon but I guess he was right because idiots like you love him for it :rolleyes:
LMFAO
In fairness, David Carradine is not at fault for stealing a role from Bruce Lee. Hollywood had been using westerners to play different ethnic groups for decades before, and their view, which was probably accurate, was that their audience wasn't willing to fork out cash for genuine articles.
Now, we're enlightened. This occurred when Tom Cruise saved the Samurai.
Somewhere, there's a really talented Australian who doesn't want to play the bad guy in a Jackie Chan flick.:D
I don't normally agree with Steven Segal, but Tom Cruise's casting was a bit much. :rolleyes:
Despite David Carradine's faults, the Kung Fu tv show introduced to the American public a Chinese hero who was a pacifist, but not a coward, introduced the entire concept of the Shaolin Temple to millions of people who had never heard of it before, and spurred an interest in the martial arts that millions of people benefited from.
In early seventies, after Bruce Lee, David Carradine did a lot to inspire kids to find a teacher, join a class, and train.
His tv show, and his role in the movie, the Silent Flute, also helped keep traditional Chinese martial arts and philosophy in the public eye and helped keep memories of Bruce Lee alive.
Let that be a part of his legacy. As for everything else, it's all over with now.
FoxNews is also saying he was found hanging.
"A Thailand newspaper, The Nation, reported the 72-year-old actor was found hanging."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525069,00.html
I agree except with the part about his role in The Silent Flute. Again taking credit for not only the role, but in Bruce Lee's own story and idea. There is a special place in h3ll for people like him. He will be joined by others of his ilk, such as Roger Moore.
Actor David Carradine found deadStory Highlights
David Carradine's personal manager says actor's body found in a Bangkok hotel
Carradine became famous in the 1970s after starring in the TV series "Kung Fu"
Carradine, 72, was also known as "Bill" in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films
updated 6 minutes agoNext Article in Entertainment »
Read VIDEO
From Jack Hannah
CNN
(CNN) -- American actor David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok, Thailand, hotel, according to his personal manager, Chuck Binder.
David Carradine became famous in the 1970s after starring in the television series "Kung Fu."
Binder said Thursday that the death is being investigated but could provide no other details.
Carradine's death was "shocking and sad. He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person," Binder said, according to People magazine.
Carradine, who became famous in the 1970s when he starred as traveling Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the television series "Kung Fu," was 72.
Modern audiences may best know him as "Bill" in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films. He earned a 2005 Golden Globe nomination for his role in the second movie in the two-part saga. iReport: Share memories of David Carradine
His career included more than 100 feature films, two dozen television movies and theater work, according to the Internet Movie Database.
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People: David Carradine found dead in hotel room
Carradine, who was married five times and divorced four, is survived by his widow, Annie Bierman, according to People magazine. Watch Carradine talk about his 'Kung Fu' role »
He was the son of actor John Carradine, a character actor who had appeared in hundreds of films, plays and television episodes.
"David's career as an artist did not begin on the stage, though some of his early career was on and off Broadway. His earliest work was as a sculptor and painter," Carradine's official Web site says.
Ha! way back in the dark ages, Bill Mumy and Miguel Ferrer spotted lunch for me and a couple comic book artists. Nicest guy I ever met, totally unaffected by the industry. Many actors/actresses are tough to handle, they are so narcissistic, paranoid and well, stupid. But not Bill Mumy, smart guy, nice guy, well mannered and now... an a$$ kicker.
Right on.
I hate to bring this up, but it is either a tragedy - he lost his will to live or, typical of Hollywood - it is auto-erot!c asphyxiation.
Wonder what the Vegas odds are?
wow, R.I.P.
Yeah, normally, when a star gets in a fraccas, people talk about their temper. But in this case, everyone knew the other guy was a jerk. And when you look like Bill Mummy and you kick the crap out of someone, you deserve props.
And in interviews, he's always been a class act.
Not to make light of a sad situation, but Thai police said they found Carradine with a rope around his neck and other parts of his body, with a preliminary investigation citing suicide by the actor. From the BBC:
"Thai police told the BBC the 72-year-old was found by a hotel maid sitting in a wardrobe with a cord around his neck and other parts of his body."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8083479.stm
Shocking and sad. While we all had our varying opinions of the man who played Kwai Chang Caine for so many years, he was undoubtedly an influential character in the development of Shaolin Kungfu in the western world.
May your soul find peace in the afterlife, David.
herb ox
RIP and condolences to his family!!!
To be honest though I couldn't stand the man.... even in Kill Bill I thought he was a D!ck.....just the thought of Sanjuro tossing him out the door puts a smile on my face:) After he came out with the Tai Chi tapes....well lets put it this way...even a Shaolin Taco knows crap when he sees it:eek:
BQ
PS
If he did hang himself, well that's the chicken sh!t way out.
1. about KF series.
I only saw a few episodes of the first season, then it was banned in Taiwan.
only recently, did I view the whole series from DVD I bought from barnes and nobles.
2. roles/characters and the actor that play them
usually, there are no connections. even though people tend to equate the both.
last samurai was an American army soldier and not TOM CRUISE.
Kuai Chain is a figurative figure and NOT David C.
The backdrops and Kung Fu series played by David C did have impacts as pointed out.
--
Sad.
RIP.
:(
This just in - David Carradine was found dead in his hotel room in Thailand. See this thread in the Wing Chun forum for emerging details:
http://martial.securesites.net/forum...ad.php?t=54143
herb ox
Shame! The man had his faults but he was a talented actor and promoted KF in the US.
about five years ago I met David and his son (I believe) at a convention. He was aloof and didn't really seem like he wanted to be there. That's okay.....some of us are just like that.
I met David Carradine several years ago at ABA, the year before Spirit of Shaolin was released (the web says that was '91, and I was at ABA in '90, so that seems about right). He signed a blad for me. I still have that somewhere.
Last summer, I did an phone interview with Carradine for David Carradine in Spike TV's KUNG FU KILLER. I called him at home and I could tell he was doing a lot of interviews that day. He sounded pretty relaxed and I could hear his dog barking in the background. At one point, we had to stop for him to quiet his dog down. We spoke for 45 minutes or so. After the interview, I went to lunch. When I got back, Carradine had left a message on my answering machine. He had become confused with his interview schedule and was calling to ask why I hadn't called. For some curious reason, I saved that message in my voicemail. It's still there. I'll listen to it later today and remember him.
I've had my personal issues with Carradine's work for years. Being Amerasian, Caine was like a minstrel show for me. However, I still will cite Kung Fu sometimes when I'm explaining Shaolin to people of my generation who know nothing about martial arts. There really wasn't any show ever quite like that original series - not just in the sense of timing (when Nixon helped open China) but also in the sense of how to move a story arc for television (the flashback motif). Love him or hate him, he is one of our pop icons and no matter how much you feel the need to speak ill of the dead, Carradine will be remembered by pop culture as one of the American pioneers in martial arts.
I watched "Kung Fu" as a kid and loved it. Became interested in everything Chinese because of it. Carridine introduced Kung Fu to the states, sure in a very watered down form but nonetheless i dont think we can argue the impact the show and he had.
RIP Grasshopper.
Don't worry Gene, I speak ill of the living as well :D
i met DC something like 6 years ago......he had this crazy story as to how the kung fu series came about it was almost laughable...but he was a great actor, and had alot of interesting things to say....had dinner with him later that night and we had a long discourse about films movies and martial arts...when his kill bill diary came out he sent me an autographed copy of it...so Rest In Peace david, you were an ******* but you were a great *******....
Greetings,
Carradine, despite all of his problems did not seem like a suicide type of guy. I hope more info is provided about this. It just does not feel right.
mickey
PS: If it comes out that somebody topped him really good, I'd believe it. :)
When tae-bo was big he came out with a video called "Cardio Tai Chi" It was the biggest abortion of a video ever. Guy was a di(k. Perhaps all his lying about the MA finally caught up with him and he felt guilty....or else Shannon Lee got to him.
May David lead by Amitaba Buddha to the land of Bliss.
It's certainly sad for the family especially considering the circumstances, but I don't think Carradine deserves any special recognition for his 'role' in the CMA community but you know IKF and others are going to heap praise on the man & his 'legacy'. I don't care for it but he is a part of the western CMA historical landscape, unfortunately.
While the TV show Kung Fu was a landmark, Carradine was just an actor and his gaining the role in the Kung Fu series was evidence of Hollywood's sometimes not so subtle racism. Which still exists today, a Caucasian playing Goku! Jackie Chan inspite of his world wide success long before Hollywood is never given actual leading roles in his Hollywood films he's always buddied up with crap actors like Chris Tucker. Carradine was not the first in terms of Caucasians playing Asian roles but sadly the first in the landmark Kung Fu TV series role.
My opinion Carradine's family deserves some respect, he is little more then a footnote in the western world CMA landscape. :cool: