David Carradine was an
AmericanThe people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
actorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk,
Kwai Chang CaineKwai Chang Caine [虔官昌 or 拐杖棍 Qián Guānchāng] is a fictional television character in the 1972–1975 western television series, Kung Fu. He has been portrayed by David Carradine as an adult, Keith Carradine as a younger Caine and Radames Pera the child Caine and Stephen Manley as the youngest...
, in the 1970s television series,
Kung FuKung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
, which later had a 1990s sequel series,
Kung Fu: The Legend ContinuesKung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
. He was a member of a productive acting family dynasty that began with his father,
John CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
. His acting career, which included major and minor roles on stage, television and cinema, spanned over four decades. A prolific
"B" movieA B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
actor, he appeared in more than 100 feature films and was nominated four times for a
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
. The last nomination was for his title role in
Quentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's
Kill BillKill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
.
Films that featured Carradine continued to be released long after his death. These posthumous credits were from a variety of genres including horror, action, western, martial arts, drama, science fiction and documentary. In addition to his acting career, Carradine was also a musician and pursued a directing career. Influenced by his most popular acting role, he studied
martial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. The child of a frequently married actor, "Jack", as Carradine was known in his youth, had an unstable childhood. This instability would continue throughout his life as he himself was married several times. He was also frequently arrested and prosecuted for a variety of offenses which often involved substance abuse. He died on June 3, 2009 under unusual circumstances.
Early life
He was born John Arthur Carradine in
Hollywood, CaliforniaHollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, the son of Ardanelle "Abigail" (née McCool, 1911–1989) and actor
John CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
. He was a maternal half-brother of Bruce, paternal half-brother of
KeithKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
, Christopher and
Robert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
, and an uncle of
Ever CarradineEver Dawn Carradine is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tiffany Porter on Once and Again and as Kelly Ludlow on Commander in Chief.-Early life:...
and
Martha PlimptonMartha Campbell Plimpton is an American actress and singer and former model. Plimpton is a screen, stage and television actress. She first appeared as Jonsy in the feature film River Rats before rising to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies portraying the character Stef...
. He was the great-grandson of Methodist evangelical author
Beverly CarradineBeverly Francis Carradine was an American Methodist minister, and a leading evangelist for the holiness movement. He was a productive author, writing primarily on the subject of sanctification.- Life and work :...
and the grandnephew of artist Will Foster.
Affectionately called "Jack" during his childhood years, Carradine's childhood was turbulent. Both of his parents repeatedly re-married. He was the product of his mother's second marriage of three, and his father's first of four. At the time his parents married each other, his mother already had a son, Bruce, by her first husband, whom John adopted. John Carradine planned a large family but, as his son explained in his autobiography, after his wife had a series of
miscarriageMiscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
s, he discovered that she had had repeated illegal
abortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
s without his knowledge. This rendered her unable to carry a baby to full term. It was with this backdrop of marital discord that at the age of 5, Jack almost succeeded in committing suicide by hanging. He said that the incident followed his discovery that he and Bruce had different biological fathers. He added that, "My father saved me, and then confiscated my comic book collection and burned it – which was scarcely the point".
After three years of marriage, Ardenelle Carradine filed for divorce from John, but the couple remained married for another five years. Divorce finally came in 1944, when Jack was seven years old. His father left California to avoid court action in the
alimonyAlimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
settlement. After the couple engaged in a series of court battles over child custody and alimony, which at one point landed John in jail, Jack joined his father in New York City. By this time his father had remarried. For the next few years Jack was shuffled between boarding schools, foster homes and reform school. He also would often accompany his father while the elder Carradine performed summer theater throughout the Northeast. He spent time in Massachusetts and even one miserable winter milking cows on a farm in Vermont.
Eventually, Jack Carradine returned to California where he graduated from Oakland High School. He attended Oakland Junior College for a year before transferring to San Francisco State College where he studied drama and music theory. There he wrote music for the drama department's annual revues while juggling work at menial jobs, a fledgling stage acting career and his studies. After he dropped out of college, Carradine spent some time with the "
beatnikBeatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
s" of San Francisco's North Beach and Venice, California. During this time he collected unemployment insurance and sold baby pictures. He was also prosecuted for disturbing the peace.
Despite an attempt to dodge the draft, in 1960 Carradine was inducted into the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, where he drew pictures for training aids. That Christmas he married his high school sweetheart, Donna Lee Becht. While stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia he helped to establish a theater company which became known as the "entertainment unit". He met fellow inductee,
Larry CohenLawrence G. "Larry" Cohen is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is best known as a B-Movie auteur of horror and science fiction films - often containing a police procedural element - during 1970s and 1980s...
, who later cast him in
Q, The Winged SerpentQ is a 1982 horror film written and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, David Carradine, and Richard Roundtree.-Plot:...
. He also faced
court-martialA court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
for shoplifting. In 1962, Donna gave birth to their daughter, Calista. Carradine was honorably discharged after a two-year tour.
Early successes
Upon leaving the Army, Carradine became serious about his acting pursuits. It was at that time that he was advised to change his name to avoid confusion with his famous father. In 1963, he made his television debut on an episode of
Armstrong Circle TheatreArmstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from 1950 to 1957 on NBC, and then until 1963 on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour.-Synopsis:...
. Several other television roles were to follow including appearances on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. He made his
feature filmIn the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
debut in 1964 in
TaggartTaggart is a film directed by R.G. Springsteen based upon the novel by Louis L'Amour. The novel was adapted into a screenplay by Robert Creighton Williams. It is notable for being the film debut of late actor David Carradine.-Cast:...
, a western based on a novel by
Louis L'AmourLouis Dearborn L'Amour was an American author. His books consisted primarily of Western fiction novels , however he also wrote historical fiction , science fiction , nonfiction , as well as poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into movies...
.
His first "big break", however, came with his second Broadway part in
The Royal Hunt of the SunThe Royal Hunt of the Sun is a 1964 play by Peter Shaffer that portrays the destruction of the Inca empire by conquistador Francisco Pizarro.-Premiere:...
, a play by
Peter ShafferSir Peter Levin Shaffer is an English dramatist and playwright, screenwriter and author of numerous award-winning plays, several of which have been filmed.-Early life:...
about the destruction of the
Inca empireThe Andean civilizations made up a loose patchwork of different cultures that developed from the highlands of Colombia to the Atacama Desert. The Andean civilizations are mainly based on the cultures of Ancient Peru and some others such as Tiahuanaco. The Inca Empire was the last sovereign...
by
conquistadorConquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
. He said of this performance, "Many of the important roles that I got later on were because the guy who was going to hire me was in that audience and had his mind blown." For that part, Carradine won a
Theatre World AwardThe Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
for Best Debut Performance in 1965.
With the closing of The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and the failing of his marriage, Carradine left New York and headed back to California. He returned to TV to star in the short-lived series
ShaneShane is an American Western television series based on the 1949 book of the same name by Jack Schaefer . The series was created by Herschel Daugherty and Gary Nelson, and starred David Carradine as the title character...
, a 1966 western based upon
a 1949 novel of the same nameShane is a 1949 western book by Jack Schaefer. It is often considered his greatest novel.-Plot:Note: This description is a combination of the movie and the book, and is not representative of the novel itself....
and previously filmed in 1953.
In 1972, he co-starred as 'Big' Bill Shelly in one of
Martin ScorseseMartin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
's earliest films
Boxcar BerthaBoxcar Bertha , director Martin Scorsese's second film, is a loose adaptation of Sister of the Road, the fictionalized autobiography of radical and transient Bertha Thompson as written by Ben Reitman...
, which starred
Barbara HersheyBarbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
, his domestic partner at the time (see Personal life). This was one of several
Roger CormanRoger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
productions in which he was to appear. It was also one of a handful of acting collaborations he made with his father, John.
Kung Fu
For three seasons, David Carradine starred as a half-Chinese, half-Caucasian Shaolin monk,
Kwai Chang CaineKwai Chang Caine [虔官昌 or 拐杖棍 Qián Guānchāng] is a fictional television character in the 1972–1975 western television series, Kung Fu. He has been portrayed by David Carradine as an adult, Keith Carradine as a younger Caine and Radames Pera the child Caine and Stephen Manley as the youngest...
, on the
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
hit TV series
Kung FuKung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
(1972–1975) and was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for the role. The show, which took place in the Old West, helped to popularize the
martial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and
Eastern philosophyEastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Korean philosophy...
in the west and immortalized the character of Kwai Chang Caine, also referred to as "Grasshopper", in popular culture.
Although the choice of a Caucasian to play the role of Kwai Chang Caine stirred controversy, the show served as steady employment for several Asian-American actors in the U.S. In addition to
Keye LukeKeye Luke was a Chinese-born American actor. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal and, later, MGM and is generally acknowledged as the leading Asian-American actor of this era of American cinema.-Background:...
and
Philip Ahn, who held leading roles in the cast as Caine's Shaolin masters,
Robert ItoRobert Ito is a Canadian voice, television, and movie actor of Japanese decent.A Canadian actor of Japanese descent, Ito was, for many years, a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada before turning to acting in the mid-1960s...
,
James HongJames Hong is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists . A prolific acting veteran, Hong's career spans over 50 years and includes more than 350 roles in film, television, and video games.-Early life:Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His...
,
Benson FongBenson Fong was a Chinese American character actor.Born in Sacramento, California, Fong was from a mercantile family...
,
Richard LooRichard Loo was a Chinese American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. A prolific actor, he appeared in over 120 films between 1931 and 1982....
, and
Victor Sen YungVictor Sen Yung was an American character actor. He was given billing under a variety of names, including Sen Yung, Sen Young, Victor Sen Young, and Victor Young.- Career :...
frequently appeared in the series. Kung Fu ended when Carradine quit to pursue a movie career, but he reprised the role of
Kwai Chang CaineKwai Chang Caine [虔官昌 or 拐杖棍 Qián Guānchāng] is a fictional television character in the 1972–1975 western television series, Kung Fu. He has been portrayed by David Carradine as an adult, Keith Carradine as a younger Caine and Radames Pera the child Caine and Stephen Manley as the youngest...
in 1986 in Kung Fu: The Movie.
Brandon LeeBrandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
, son of
Bruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
, in his acting debut, portrayed his son.
Early in the 1990s, Carradine once again reprised the role of Kwai Chang Caine in
Kung Fu: The Legend ContinuesKung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
(1993–97) playing the grandson of the original character of the same name. Carradine starred in the program and served as Executive Producer and Director. The program offered him the opportunity to recreate the character for which he was most widely recognized. The show was canceled in 1997, after 4 seasons, and 88 episodes.
Movie career
Immediately following the Kung Fu series, Carradine accepted the role as the race car driver Frankenstein in
Death Race 2000Death Race 2000 is a 1975 cult action film directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine, Simone Griffeth and Sylvester Stallone. The film takes place in a dystopian American society in the year 2000, where the murderous Transcontinental Road Race has become a form of national entertainment...
(1975), he said, to "kill the image of Caine and launch a movie career". The Roger Corman exploitation film became a cult classic. It was based on
Ib MelchiorIb Jørgen Melchior is a novelist, short story writer, film producer, film director, and screenwriter of low-budget American science fiction movies, most of them released by American International Pictures...
's first science fiction work, a short story called The Racer.
In 1976, Carradine earned critical praise for his portrayal of folksinger
Woody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
in
Hal AshbyHal Ashby was an American film director and film editor.-Birth and early years:Born William Hal Ashby in Ogden, Utah, Ashby grew up in a Mormon household and had a tumultuous childhood as part of a dysfunctional family which included the divorce of his parents, his father's suicide and his...
's Bound for Glory (1976) for which he won a
National Board of Review Award for Best ActorAn incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actor :-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and New York Film Critics Circle Award for his role as Guthrie.
Next came the role of the alcoholic, unemployed trapeze artist, Abel Rosenberg in
The Serpent's EggThe Serpent's Egg is a 1977 United States / West German co-produced film directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring David Carradine as Abel Rosenberg, which is set in 1920s Berlin. This was Bergman's one and only Hollywood film...
(1977). Set in post-
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
BerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
The Serpent's Egg, which also starred Liv Ullman, is the only English language film made by legendary
SwedishSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Ingmar BergmanErnst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
. Bergman said of his leading man, "I don't believe in God, but Heaven must have sent him." Carradine said that he and Bergman had plans for further collaboration, but the director's affection for the actor waned when the latter passionately protested a scene which included the butchering of a horse. The altercation caused Carradine to question the fate of Bergman's soul while the director declared, "Little Brother, I am an old whore. I have shot two other horses, burned one and strangled a dog."
When Bruce Lee died in 1973, he left an unreleased movie script that he had developed with
James CoburnJames Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
and
Stirling SilliphantStirling Dale Silliphant was an American screenwriter and producer. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, moved to Glendale, California as a child, graduated from Hoover High School, and was educated at the University of Southern California...
called The Silent Flute. The script became
Circle of IronCircle of Iron is a 1978 martial arts and fantasy film co-written by Bruce Lee, who intended to star in the film himself, but he died before production. The film is also known as The Silent Flute, which was the original title of the story conceived by Bruce Lee, James Coburn, and Stirling...
(1978) and in the film Carradine played the four roles that were originally intended for Lee. Carradine considered this to be among his best work.
In 1980 the thespian appeared in
The Long RidersThe Long Riders is a 1980 western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the Best Music award in 1980 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for this soundtrack...
(1980), with his half-brothers
KeithKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
and
Robert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
. The ensemble cast included three other brother/actor groupings:
StacyStacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
and
James KeachJames Keach is an American actor, producer, and director. He is the younger brother of actor Stacy Keach, Jr., and son of actor Stacy Keach, Sr.-Background:...
;
DennisDennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
and
Randy QuaidRandall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
, and
ChristopherChristopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest , better known as Christopher Guest, is an American screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor and comedian. He is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed and starred in several improvisational "mockumentary" films that...
and
Nicholas GuestNicholas Haden-Guest is an American actor. He primarily works as a voice actor, but is best known for a TV role, as the principal in the NBC teen sitcom, USA High.-Personal life:...
. The movie, which was about the
Jesse JamesJesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
gang, gave Carradine, who played
Cole YoungerThomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw with the James-Younger gang...
, one of his most memorable roles.
Throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s, David Carradine's acting career suffered a decline. Although he continued to amass movie and television credits, few of his roles garnered much attention. Most of his work was released straight to video. However, a few of his movies, such as
The Warrior and the SorceressThe Warrior and the Sorceress is an 81-minute motion picture directed by John C. Broderick and starring David Carradine, released in 1984 by New Horizons...
(1984),
Sundown: The Vampire in RetreatSundown: The Vampire in Retreat is a Western horror/comedy directed by Anthony Hickox, and written by John Burgess and Anthony Hickox. Filmed in and around Moab, Utah, in 1988, Sundown was Vestron Pictures' last film and it was never released to theaters. Its only public screenings were at film...
(1990) and Sonny Boy (1989), developed cult followings. In 1989, he starred in the low budget direct-to-video Swedish action movie The Mad Bunch directed by Mats Helge Olsson, making him one of three actors (including
Heinz HopfHeinz Hopf was a Swedish actor.He was born in Stockholm but moved to Lund where he studied at Lund University. He later became a regular actor at the Dramaten theater in Stockholm. Internationally, he is best known for playing the pimp in Thriller - en grym film .Heinz Hopf died from throat cancer...
and
Tor IsedalTor Isedal né Tor Carlsson was a Swedish actor on stage, screen and television. He appeared in 75 films between 1952 and 1990.-Selected filmography:* Rabies * The Virgin Spring...
) who have starred in both an Ingmar Bergman movie and an Olsson movie. In 1997, Carradine was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. The presenters played an "April Fool's Day" prank on him by first unveiling a star bearing the name of his brother,
RobertRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
.
Carradine enjoyed a revival of his fame when he was cast in Quentin Tarantino's sequential
Kill BillKill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
movies, in 2003 and 2004. Among those who thought his portrayal of the assassin extraordinaire, Bill, would earn him an Academy Award nomination was Scott Mantz, of The Mediadrome, who said, "Carradine practically steals every scene he’s in with confident gusto, and he gives a soulful performance that should all but ensure a spot on next year’s Oscar ballot." Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper each had Kill Bill Vol. 2 on their top ten list for of Academy Awards predictions. Although the films received no notice from the Academy, Carradine did receive a Golden Globe nomination and a
Saturn AwardThe Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
, for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Bill.
Television appearances
Carradine attracted notice in 1985 when he appeared in a supporting role in
North and SouthNorth and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
, a
miniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
about the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. He also appeared in
North and South, Book IINorth and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
, telecast in May 1986.
In addition, he was featured in a Lipton tea commercial, which first aired during the broadcast of
Super Bowl XXVIIISuper Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
. The advertisement paid tribute to The Three Stooges while satirizing his role in Kung Fu. In 2001, he appeared in the episode The Serpent of the syndicated TV series Queen of Swords as the sword wielding bandit El Serpiente filmed at
Texas HollywoodTexas Hollywood is a Western-styled theme park in the province of Almería in Spain. Built in the early 1970s, it lies a few kilometers to the north of the N-340 road highway , near the town of Tabernas. Around 1977, Rafa Molina, a stuntman, bought the set for US$6,000 to improve his job...
studios in Almeria, Spain, home of many
spaghetti westernSpaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
s. David also did a guest appearance in episode 11 of
Lizzie McGuireLizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...
as himself. David Carradine took over hosting duties from his brother
KeithKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
on
Wild West TechWild West Tech was a program that aired on The History Channel in the United States. The show was originally hosted by Keith Carradine , but his brother, David Carradine took over hosting duties for season 2 and subsequent seasons...
on the History Channel, in 2005. By 2006, he had become the spokesperson for Yellowbook, a publisher of independent telephone directories in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also appeared as the ghost of time,
ClockworkA clockwork is the inner workings of either a mechanical clock or a device that operates in a similar fashion. Specifically, the term refers to a mechanical device utilizing a complex series of gears....
in two episodes of the animated series,
Danny PhantomDanny Phantom is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. The show was about a teenage half-ghost boy, who frequently saves his town and the world from ghost attacks, while attempting to keep his ghost half a secret...
.
Posthumous releases
The actor, who once received an award for being the hardest working member of his profession in Hollywood, still had approximately a dozen films in "post-production" at the time of his death in 2009. Most of these roles were cameos or small parts in independent, direct to DVD productions. Among them, a horror flick, The Rain (2009), an action film, Bad Cop (2009), and a western, All Hell Broke Loose (2009).
Carradine also appeared in a small role in Woo-Ping Yuen's Chinese kung fu epic
True LegendTrue Legend is a 2010 martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, starring Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, David Carradine, Guo Xiaodong, Feng Xiaogang, Cung Le, Gordon Liu, Bryan Leung and Jacky Heung....
. Carradine and Yuen first met while filming Kill Bill. Yuen eulogized Carradine on the True Legend website, describing him as a "good friend". Yuen said of Carradine, " 'He is among the first Hollywood actors to perform Chinese martial arts on the big screen. In real life he is also a genuine kung fu fan, and knows tai chi, qi gong and Chinese medicine. Same as I, people shall always remember his role as Caine, the grasshopper, in Kung Fu, in the '70s, which was a really unforgettable performance. I feel both great honour and regret that True Legend is one of David Carradine's last works.' "
One of Carradine's last leading roles was in the period drama, Golden Boys, set in 1905. It had only a limited theater run, and received little critical attention. It was released on DVD shortly after his death.
Carradine co-produced a full length documentary about
luthierA luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Stuart MossmanStuart Mossman was an American guitar maker, entertainer and entrepreneur who built 6,000 guitars from 1968 to 1984 that were played by several professional guitarists, including John Denver, Eric Clapton, Albert Lee, Doc Watson, Hank Snow, Cat Stevens and Merle Travis...
, which has been identified as the actor's last film appearance. The Legend of Stuart Mossman: A Modern Strativari, directed by
Barry BrownBarry Brown is an American film director. He has directed The Way We Live Now and Cloud Dancer .-External links:...
, premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, in February, 2010. It featured David, Keith and Robert Carradine performing their music on Mossman guitars. Mossman had appeared with Carradine in Cloud Dancer (1980), which Brown also directed, and in The Long Riders.
On the small screen, Carradine appeared in a guest spot on the television series
MentalMental is a television series produced by Fox's subsidiary Fox Telecolombia, which aired in the summer and fall of 2009 on FOX international channels for Latin America, Europe and Asia, starring Chris Vance and Annabella Sciorra...
that was broadcast just days after his death. On October 3, 2009,
Celebrity Ghost StoriesCelebrity Ghost Stories is a television show on BIO & A&E Network. It is a reality show that interviews various celebrities who have witnessed paranormal events at certain points in their lives.-Season 1 - ::...
premiered on the Biography Channel with an interview of David Carradine discussing his belief that his closet was haunted by his wife's deceased previous husband. The segment, which was described as "eerie" was filmed four months before his own death. In his last of many collaborations with producer Roger Corman, Carradine appeared in the Syfy Channels science fiction monster movie Dinocroc Vs. Supergator, over a year after he died. Ken Tucker, writing for
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, said the film was "impeccable" and "goofy fun all the way". At the time of this release, there were still four more unreleased films that credited David Carradine, including
StretchStretch is a 2011 English-language film directed by Charles de Meaux. It stars Nicolas Cazalé, Fan Bingbing and David Carradine. After Carradine's death during production, his widow Annie Bierman sued MK2 Productions, the film's production company, for negligence.- Cast :* Nicolas Cazalé as...
, which he was filming at the time of his death.
Directing career
Carradine made his directorial debut on three episodes of Kung Fu. While still performing on Kung Fu, he tried his hand at directing some independent films of his own. Americana (1983), took ten years to complete due to difficulty in financing. It featured Carradine in the starring role and several of his friends and family members in supporting roles. The film won the People's Choice Award at the Director's Fortnight at
CannesCannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, but failed to achieve critical support or adequate distribution. Other directorial attempts included You and Me (1975), and two unreleased productions: Mata Hari, an epic that starred his daughter, Calista, and a short musical called A Country Mile.
Martial artist
Carradine knew nothing of the practice of kung fu at the time he was cast in the role of Kwai Chang Caine, instead he relied on his experience as a dancer for the part. He also had experience in sword fighting,
boxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and
street fightingStreet fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....
on which to draw. For the first half of the original series, David Chow provided technical assistance with kung fu. Later, Kam Yuen provided the expertise. It was not until after the series was canceled that Carradine began to study
martial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, first from Yuen and eventually from Rob Moses, a student of Yuen's. He never considered himself a master of the art, but rather an "
evangelistEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
" of kung fu. By 2003 he had acquired enough expertise in martial arts to produce and star in several instructional videos on T'ai chi and
QigongQigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
. In 2005, Carradine visited the Shaolin Monastery in Henan, China as part of the extra features for the third season of the Kung Fu DVDs. During his visit, the abbot, Shi Yǒngxìn, said that he recognized Carradine's important contribution to the promotion of the Shaolin Monastery and kung fu culture, to which he replied, "I am happy to serve."
Music career
In addition to his acting career, David Carradine was also a musician. He sang and played the piano, the guitar and the flute among other instruments. He recorded an album titled Grasshopper, which was released on
Jet RecordsJet Records was a small British record label set up by Don Arden with artists like Electric Light Orchestra , Roy Wood, Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Riot and Magnum. The first release on the "Jet Records" label was "No Honestly", a UK top 10 for its singer and writer Lynsey De Paul in November 1974...
in 1975. His musical talents were often integrated into his screen performances. He performed several of
Woody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
's songs for the movie Bound for Glory. For the
Kung FuKung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
series he made flutes out of bamboo that he had planted on the Warner Brothers lot which he played on the program. He later made several flutes for the movie
Circle of IronCircle of Iron is a 1978 martial arts and fantasy film co-written by Bruce Lee, who intended to star in the film himself, but he died before production. The film is also known as The Silent Flute, which was the original title of the story conceived by Bruce Lee, James Coburn, and Stirling...
, one of which he later played in
Kill BillKill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
. Carradine wrote and performed the theme songs for at least two movies that he starred in, Americana, and Sonny Boy. The first line from the Sonny Boy theme, Paint, which he wrote while filming Americana in Drury, Kansas in 1973, is engraved on his headstone. He wrote and performed several songs for American Reel (2003) and wrote the score for You and Me. He and his brother, Robert, also performed with a band, the
Cosmic Rescue Team (also known as Soul Dogs). The band primarily performed in small venues and benefits.
Reports of arrests and prosecutions
By his own account, in the late 1950s, while he was living in San Francisco, young John A. Carradine was arrested for assaulting a police officer. He pleaded to a lesser charge of disturbing the peace. While in the Army (1960–62) he faced court-martial, on more than one occasion, for shoplifting. After he became an established actor, and had changed his name to David, he was arrested, in 1967, for possession of marijuana.
At the height of his popularity in Kung Fu, in 1974, David Carradine was arrested again, this time for attempted burglary and malicious mischief. While under the influence of
peyoteLophophora williamsii , better known by its common name Peyote , is a small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline.It is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico...
, Carradine, nude, began wandering around his Laurel Canyon neighborhood. He broke into a neighbor's home, breaking 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.
In 1980, while in South Africa filming Safari 3000 (also known as Rally), which co-starred
Stockard ChanningStockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
, Carradine was arrested for possession of marijuana. He was convicted and given a suspended sentence. He claimed that he was framed, in this case, by the Apartheid government as he had been seen dancing with
Tina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
.
During the 1980s Carradine was arrested at least twice for driving under the influence of alcohol, once in 1984 and again in 1989. In the second case, Carradine pleaded "no contest". Of this incident The L.A. Times reported "legal experts say Carradine was handed a harsher-than-average sentence, even for a second-time offender: three years' summary probation, 48 hours in jail, 100 hours of community service, 30 days' work picking up trash for the California Department of Transportation, attendance at a drunk driving awareness meeting and completion of an alcohol rehabilitation program."
Personal life
Shortly after being drafted into the Army, in 1960, David Carradine proposed marriage to Donna Lee Becht (born September 26, 1937), whom he met while they were students at Oakland High School. They were married on Christmas Day that year. She lived with him off base in Virginia, while he was stationed at Fort Eustis. In April, 1962, she gave birth to their daughter, Calista. After his discharge, they lived in New York as David established his acting career, appearing on Broadway in The Deputy and Royal Hunt of the Sun. The marriage dissolved in 1968. Carradine left New York at that point and headed back to California to continue his television and film careers.
In 1969, he met actress
Barbara HersheyBarbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
while the two of them were working on
Heaven with a GunHeaven with a Gun is a 1969 western film starring Glenn Ford as Jim Killian, a preacher who arrives in a town divided between cattlemen and sheep herders. But Killian isn't just any preacher. He is a former fast gun who has set upon a different path...
. The pair began a domestic relationship that would last until 1975. They appeared in other films together including Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha. In 1972 they appeared in a nude Playboy spread, recreating some sex scenes from Boxcar Bertha. That year Hershey gave birth to their son, Free (who later changed his name to Tom, much to his father's chagrin).
The relationship fell apart, around the time of his 1974 burglary arrest, when Carradine began an affair with
Season Hubley-Biography:Hubley was born Susan Hubley in New York City, the daughter of Julia Kaul and Grant Shelby Hubley, a writer and entrepreneur. Her brother is actor Whip Hubley....
who had guest starred on Kung Fu. He was engaged to Hubley for a time, but they did not marry.
Carradine married his second wife, Linda, (née Linda Anne Gilbert, born March 16, 1950) the former wife of
The ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
lead guitarist,
Roger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, in a civil ceremony, in Munich, Germany, immediately following the filming of The Serpent's Egg, in February, 1977. Their daughter, Kansas was born April 19, 1978. This marriage ended in divorce as did the two that followed. He was married to Gail Jensen from 1988–1997. She died in April, 2010, at the age of 60, of an alcohol related illness. He was also married to Marina Anderson from 1998–2001. By this time, Carradine had proclaimed himself to be a "serial monogamist".
On December 26, 2004, Carradine married the widowed Annie Bierman (née Anne Kirstie Fraser, born December 21, 1960) at the seaside
Malibu home of his friend,
Michael MadsenMichael Søren Madsen is an American actor, poet, and photographer. He has appeared in more than 150 films, most of them small independent films, though he has starred in central roles in such films as Reservoir Dogs, Free Willy, Donnie Brasco, and Kill Bill, in addition to a supporting role in Sin...
. Vicki Roberts, his attorney and longtime friend of his wife, performed the ceremony. With this marriage he acquired three stepdaughters, Amanda Eckelberry (born November 29, 1989), Madeleine Rose (born April 4, 1995) and Olivia Juliette (born 1998) and a stepson, Max Richard (born 1998).
Death
On June 4, 2009, David Carradine was found dead in his room at the
Swissôtel Nai Lert Park HotelSwissôtel Nai Lert Park Hotel is a luxury hotel in Wireless Road, Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Swissôtel, as part of the Fairmont Raffles Hotels International chain of 98 hotels and was established in 1984, originally as a Hilton Hotel. It contains 338 rooms...
on Wireless Road, near Sukhumvit Road, in central Bangkok, Thailand. He was in Bangkok to shoot his latest film,
StretchStretch is a 2011 English-language film directed by Charles de Meaux. It stars Nicolas Cazalé, Fan Bingbing and David Carradine. After Carradine's death during production, his widow Annie Bierman sued MK2 Productions, the film's production company, for negligence.- Cast :* Nicolas Cazalé as...
. A police official said Carradine was found hanging by a rope naked in the room's closet, causing immediate speculation that his death was suicide. However, reported evidence suggested that his death was the result of autoerotic asphyxiation. Two autopsies were conducted and concluded that the death was not caused by suicide. The cause of death became widely accepted as "accidental asphyxiation".
Immediately following his death, two of his former wives, Gail Jensen and Marina Anderson, stated publicly that his sexual interests included the practice of
self-bondageSelf-bondage refers to the use of restraints on oneself for sexual pleasure. It is a form of sexual bondage which can be practiced alone.Self-bondage is characterized by experimentation and ingenuity, and can be riskier than conventional bondage...
. Anderson, who had plans to publish a tell-all book about her marriage to Carradine, said in an interview with
Access HollywoodAccess Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, "There was a dark side to David, there was a very intense side to David. People around him know that." Previously in her divorce filing she had claimed that "It was the continuation of abhorrent and deviant sexual behavior which was potentially deadly."
Photographs of Carradine at the death scene, as well as photographs of his autopsied body, were circulated in newspapers and on the Internet. His family, represented by his brothers, Keith and Robert, pleaded with the public and the press to let them mourn their loved one in peace.
Carradine's funeral was held on June 13, 2009 in Los Angeles. His bamboo casket was buried at
Forest Lawn Memorial ParkForest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
. Among the many stars and family members that attended his private memorial were
Tom SelleckThomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
,
Lucy LiuLucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...
,
Frances FisherFrances Fisher is a British actress. She is known for her work on television, in theater and in films, including roles as Strawberry Alice, the madame prostitute in Unforgiven , and Ruth DeWitt Bukater, the mother of Kate Winslet's character in Titanic .- Early life and education :Fisher was born...
,
James CromwellJames Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A...
,
Steve RailsbackSteve Railsback is an American theatre, film and television actor, born in Dallas, Texas.-Personal life:Railsback was born Stephen Hall Railsback, in Dallas, Texas, the son of Emerett Spencer and Clyde Webb Railsback.-Career:Railsback was a student of Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio and in...
, and
Chris PotterChristopher Jay "Chris" Potter is a Canadian actor, musician and pitchman. He is primarily known for his roles on soap operas and prime-time television. Potter is known for his roles as Peter Caine, on the popular 1990s crime drama, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Dr...
. His grave was marked on December 3, 2009. The monument proclaimed him to be "The Barefoot Legend" and included a quote from "Paint", a song he wrote and performed as the theme to Sonny Boy, as an epitaph.
Controversies after death
On the first anniversary of his death, Carradine's widow, Annie, announced that she had filed a lawsuit for wrongful death against the company that produced the film that Carradine was working on at the time of his death. The lawsuit claimed that the company failed to provide assistance to the actor that had been agreed upon in his contract. "The suit alleges, the assistant left him behind for dinner on the night before the actor was found dead. The assistant and other film staffers apparently could not reach Carradine, and decided to leave without him. Carradine called the assistant an hour later but was told the group was across town and he would have to make his own arrangements that evening." Annie Carradine reached a settlement with MK2 Productions in August 2011. She is reported to be receiving about $400,000 US from the company for Carradine's death.
Also, in June 2010, Marina Anderson, Carradine's fourth ex-wife, published David Carradine: The Eye of My Tornado, a book that discusses intimate details of their marriage. She also claimed publicly that she had conducted her own investigation of his death, and concluded that he was murdered.
Selected filmography
| Film |
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1965 |
Taggart Taggart is a film directed by R.G. Springsteen based upon the novel by Louis L'Amour. The novel was adapted into a screenplay by Robert Creighton Williams. It is notable for being the film debut of late actor David Carradine.-Cast:...
|
Cal Dodge |
|
| 1966 |
Too Many Thieves Too Many Thieves is a 1966 American crime film directed by Abner Biberman and starring Peter Falk, Britt Ekland and Joanna Barnes. A gang of criminals steal a priceless Macedonian artefact from a museum.-Cast:* Peter Falk - Danny* Britt Ekland - Claudia...
|
Felix |
|
| 1967 |
The Violent Ones The Violent Ones is a film directed by Fernando Lamas. The story was written and created by Charles Davis, Fred Freiberger, Herman Miller and Doug Wilson.-Cast:*Fernando Lamas - Manuel Vega*Aldo Ray - Joe Vorzyck*Tommy Sands - Mike Marain...
|
Lucas Barnes |
|
| 1969 |
Heaven with a Gun Heaven with a Gun is a 1969 western film starring Glenn Ford as Jim Killian, a preacher who arrives in a town divided between cattlemen and sheep herders. But Killian isn't just any preacher. He is a former fast gun who has set upon a different path...
|
Coke Beck |
With Barbara Hershey Barbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
|
| Young Billy Young Young Billy Young is a 1969 western movie starring Robert Mitchum and featuring Angie Dickinson, Robert Walker, Jr. , David Carradine, Jack Kelly , and Paul Fix. The film was written by Heck Allen and Burt Kennedy, and directed by Kennedy...
|
Jesse Boone |
|
| The Good Guys and the Bad Guys The Good Guys and the Bad Guys is a 1969 film directed by Burt Kennedy. It stars Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy.-Cast:*Robert Mitchum as Flagg*George Kennedy as McKay*Martin Balsam as Mayor Wilker*David Carradine as Waco*Tina Louise as Carmel...
|
Waco |
With John CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
|
| 1970 |
The McMasters |
White Feather |
|
| Macho Callahan Macho Callahan is a 1970 American-Mexican western film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and starring David Janssen, Jean Seberg, Lee J. Cobb and James Booth. During the American Civil War, a Confederate soldier is imprisoned in Andersonville Prison...
|
David Mountford |
|
| 1972 |
Boxcar BerthaBoxcar Bertha , director Martin Scorsese's second film, is a loose adaptation of Sister of the Road, the fictionalized autobiography of radical and transient Bertha Thompson as written by Ben Reitman...
|
'Big' Bill Shelly |
With John CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
and Barbara HersheyBarbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
|
| 1973 |
The Long GoodbyeThe Long Goodbye is a 1973 neo noir, directed by Robert Altman and based on Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Big Sleep in 1946...
|
Dave / Socrates — Marlowe's Cellmate |
Uncredited |
Mean StreetsMean Streets is a 1973 drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973...
|
Drunk |
|
| 1975 |
Death Race 2000 Death Race 2000 is a 1975 cult action film directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine, Simone Griffeth and Sylvester Stallone. The film takes place in a dystopian American society in the year 2000, where the murderous Transcontinental Road Race has become a form of national entertainment...
|
Frankenstein |
|
| You and Me |
Zeto |
Director
With Keith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
and Robert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
With Barbara HersheyBarbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
|
| 1976 |
Cannonball Cannonball, also known as Carquake, is a 1976 film starring David Carradine. The film is one of two released in 1976 that were based on a real illegal cross-continent road race that took place for a number of years in the United States...
|
Coy 'Cannonball' Buckman |
With Robert Carradine Robert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
|
| Bound for Glory |
Woody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
|
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actor :-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActorThe New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking....
|
| 1977 |
The Serpent's Egg The Serpent's Egg is a 1977 United States / West German co-produced film directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring David Carradine as Abel Rosenberg, which is set in 1920s Berlin. This was Bergman's one and only Hollywood film...
|
Abel Rosenberg |
|
| Thunder and Lightning |
Harley Thomas |
|
| 1978 |
Deathsport Deathsport is a 1978 science fiction B-movie produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush and Nicholas Niciphor. The film stars David Carradine and Playboy Playmate Claudia Jennings.-Plot:...
|
Kaz Oshay |
|
| Circle of Iron Circle of Iron is a 1978 martial arts and fantasy film co-written by Bruce Lee, who intended to star in the film himself, but he died before production. The film is also known as The Silent Flute, which was the original title of the story conceived by Bruce Lee, James Coburn, and Stirling...
|
The Blind Man / Monkeyman / Death / Changsha |
|
| Gray Lady Down Gray Lady Down is a 1978 disaster film by Universal Studios starring Charlton Heston, David Carradine, Stacy Keach, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, and features the first film role for a young Christopher Reeve...
|
Capt. Gates |
|
| 1980 |
The Long RidersThe Long Riders is a 1980 western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the Best Music award in 1980 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for this soundtrack...
|
Cole Younger Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw with the James-Younger gang...
|
With Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
and Robert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
|
| Cloud Dancer Cloud Dancer is a 1980 adventure drama film directed by Barry Brown. It stars David Carradine, Jennifer O'Neill and Joseph Bottoms. The film follows a competition aerobatic pilot. It had its premiere in Milwaukee on 29 May, 1980.-Plot:...
|
Charlie Swattle |
|
| 1982 |
QQ is a 1982 horror film written and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, David Carradine, and Richard Roundtree.-Plot:...
|
Detective Shepard |
Also known as Q: The Winged Serpent, Serpent and The Winged Serpent |
| Trick Or Treats Trick or Treats is an 1982 slasher film made by Gary Graver. It was very low-budget, but had been released into theaters anyway.-Plot:A baby sitter is stuck watching over a young brat on Halloween night who keeps playing vicious pranks on her...
|
Richard |
|
| Safari 3000 Safari 3000 is a 1982 film directed by Harry Hurwitz. The film was shot on location in Africa.-Plot:A reporter follows a stunt driver on a 3000 km race across Africa.-Principal cast:...
|
Eddie Mills |
|
| 1983 |
Lone Wolf McQuadeLone Wolf McQuade is a 1983 action film, starring Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, and Robert Beltran, and is directed by Steve Carver. The film score was written by Francesco De Masi and borrows heavily from Ennio Morricone's score for Once Upon a Time in the West...
|
Rawley Wilkes |
|
| Americana Americana is a 1983 American drama film starring, produced, edited and directed by David Carradine. The screenplay and story, written by Richard Carr, was based on a portion of the 1947 novel, The Perfect Round, by Henry Morton Robinson...
|
American Soldier |
Director
With Bruce Carradine and Barbara HersheyBarbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
|
| 1984 |
The Warrior and the Sorceress The Warrior and the Sorceress is an 81-minute motion picture directed by John C. Broderick and starring David Carradine, released in 1984 by New Horizons...
|
Kain |
|
| Downstream |
Bryant |
|
| 1986 |
P.O.W. The Escape |
Col. James Cooper |
Also known as Behind the Enemy Lines and Attack Force 'Nam |
| Armed Response |
Jim Roth |
|
| 1988 |
Tropical Snow Tropical Snow is a 1989 film starring David Carradine and Madeleine Stowe in a story about cocaine smuggling. Comedian Tim Allen has a minor role as a baggage handler....
|
Oskar |
|
| I Saw What You Did I Saw What You Did is a 1988 television film directed by Fred Walton. The film is a remake of the 1965 movie of the same name, starring Joan Crawford. It received generally negative reviews, with only a few exceptions...
|
Stephen |
|
| 1989 |
Night Children |
Max |
|
| Sonny Boy |
Pearl |
|
| 1990 |
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat is a Western horror/comedy directed by Anthony Hickox, and written by John Burgess and Anthony Hickox. Filmed in and around Moab, Utah, in 1988, Sundown was Vestron Pictures' last film and it was never released to theaters. Its only public screenings were at film...
|
Jozek Mardulak / Count Dracula Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
|
|
Bird on a WireBird on a Wire is a 1990 feature film starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, directed by John Badham, and shot mainly in British Columbia, Canada. The title refers to the Leonard Cohen song "Bird on the Wire"...
|
Sorenson |
|
| 1991 |
Karate Cop Karate Cop is the straight to video 1991 sequel to Omega Cop set in the future about a karate-trained police officer in the future. It stars Ronald L. Marchini and in a very minor role, David Carradine. This film was also written and produced by its star, Ronald L. Marchini, and executive-produced...
|
Dad |
|
| Martial Law Martial Law is a 1991 action/martial arts film written by Richard Brandes, produced by Kurt Anderson, directed by Steve Cohen and stars Chad McQueen, Cynthia Rothrock and David Carradine.-Plot:...
|
Dalton Rhodes |
|
| 1992 |
Evil Toons Evil Toons is a 1992 live-action/animated Comedy-Horror B-movie directed by Fred Olen Ray.- Plot :A group of teenage girls must spend the night in an old house in order to receive a minor amount of money. On the night of their arrival, a strange man arrives at the house, delivering an old book...
|
Gideon Fisk |
|
| Roadside Prophets Roadside Prophets is a 1992 cult film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, an uncharacteristic performance by John...
|
Othello |
|
| Waxwork II: Lost in Time Waxwork II: Lost in Time is a 1992 horror/comedy film directed and written by Anthony Hickox.-Plot summary:The film opens with the final scenes of Waxwork. Then a reenactment of Mark and Sarah leaving the burning waxwork . They then part ways...
|
The Beggar |
|
| 1998 |
Children of the Corn V: Fields of TerrorChildren of the Corn V: Fields of Terror is a 1998 motion picture and the fifth installment of the Children of the Corn series. It is also the third Children of the Corn movie released by Dimension Films and Miramax Films...
|
Luke Enright |
|
| An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island, titled in the film as An American Tail III: The Treasure of Manhattan Island was the first direct-to-video and third film in the An American Tail series. This film was first released in the UK in 1998. It was released by Universal Studios Home...
|
Chief Wulisso |
Voice only |
| 1999 |
American Reel American Reel is a 1999 drama film directed by Mark Archer and starring David Carradine, Michael Maloney and Mariel Hemingway. The film is set in Chicago, Illinois, though primary filming locations included Fort Wayne, Indiana, Waterloo, Indiana, and Hicksville, Ohio.-Synopsis:Country singer James...
|
James Lee Springer |
|
| 2000 |
Down 'n Dirty |
Gil Garner |
|
| 2002 |
Balto II: Wolf Quest Balto II: Wolf Quest is a 2002 straight-to-DVD fictional sequel to Universal Studios' 1995 animated film Balto.-Plot:Balto and his mate Jenna have a new family of six puppies...
|
Nava the Wolf Shaman |
Voice only |
| 2003 |
Kill Bill: Volume 1Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
|
BillBill is the fictional titular character for whom the movie Kill Bill is named. In the film, he is the leader of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, which included his brother, Budd . Bill's codename is Snake Charmer...
|
|
| 2004 |
Kill Bill: Volume 2 |
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting ActorThe Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actor of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
|
| Hair High Hair High is a 2004 animated comedy-horror-romance by American filmmaker Bill Plympton.-Plot:A gothic high-school comedy with a Carrie-like story. Cherri and Rod are the high-school king and queen and they justifiably rule their domain...
|
Mr. Snerz |
Voice only |
Dead & BreakfastDead & Breakfast is a 2004 horror/comedy film directed by Matthew Leutwyler.-Plot:Six friends take a road trip to Galveston, Texas in an RV for the wedding of their friend, Kelly...
|
Mr. Wise |
|
| 2006 |
The Last Sect |
Van Helsing |
|
| 2007 |
Homo Erectus |
Mookoo |
|
| Epic Movie Epic Movie is a 2007 American parody film directed and written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer and produced by Paul Schiff. It was made in a similar style to Date Movie, Friedberg and Seltzer's previous film. The film mostly references The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the...
|
The Curator |
|
| Fall Down Dead Fall Down Dead is a horror/slasher film starring Dominique Swain released in 2007. The storyline involves a metropolitan city in the grip of fear after rolling blackouts bring out a serial killer dubbed "The Picasso Killer"...
|
Wade |
|
| Camille -Plot:The plot follows the two characters who have recently married and are going to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon. Silas Parker is a thief who marries Camille Foster , his parole officer's niece, in hopes it will be his chance to escape to Canada...
|
Cowboy Bob |
|
| How to Rob a Bank How to Rob a Bank is an American independent film, with as its subtitle: And 10 Tips To Actually Get Away With It. It finished filming in March 2006 and premiered May 20, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. It was shown at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 25, 2007. It opened in limited release in...
|
Nick |
|
| Fuego |
Lobo |
|
| Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon Max Havoc: Curse of The Dragon is an action film directed by Albert Pyun on the island of Guam in 2004. The movie was written by Irina Diether. A sequel titled Max Havoc: Ring of Fire was shot in Canada in 2006.- Plot :...
|
Grand Master |
|
| 2008 |
Big StanBig Stan is a 2007 American comedy film produced, directed by and starring Rob Schneider. It is his directorial debut. Although released in some overseas markets during the fall of 2008, it was released straight to DVD in the U.S. on March 24, 2009. It debuted at number 17 on the DVD rental charts...
|
The Master |
|
| Richard III |
Buckingham Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
|
|
| Hell Ride Hell Ride is a 2008 American feature film from Larry Bishop released under the "Quentin Tarantino Presents" banner.-Plot:Larry Bishop stars as biker Pistolero, the leader, or "Pres" of the Victors, a Southern California motorcycle gang...
|
The Deuce |
|
| Last Hour Last Hour is a straight-to-DVD 2008 movie starring DMX, Michael Madsen, David Carradine and Paul Sorvino.-Plot:The movie follows five characters who are lured to an abandoned house in China by letters they all received from their fathers. They soon realize they are not alone and there is one other...
|
Detective Mike Stone |
|
| Death Race Death Race is a 2008 action film produced, written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring Jason Statham. Though referred to as a remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000 in reviews and marketing materials, director Paul W.S. Anderson stated in an interview and the DVD commentary that he...
|
Frankenstein (voice) |
|
My SuicideArchie's Final Project is a teen dramedy feature film directed by David Lee Miller and starring Gabriel Sunday. It won the best feature film prize for the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival's youth film section Generation 14plus...
|
Vargas |
|
| Kung Fu Killer |
Crane |
Television film |
| Kandisha Kandisha is a 2008 Moroccan horror film directed by Jerome Cohen-Olivar, starring Amira Casar, David Carradine, Hiamm Abbass, Michael Cohen, Saïd Taghmaoui, Mourad Zaoui, and Assaad Bouab....
|
The American |
|
| The Golden Boys The Golden Boys may refer to:*Chatham , directed by Daniel Adams. The movie was renamed from Chatham to for distribution.*Watford F.C., Watford Football Club...
|
Captain Zeb |
|
| 2009 |
Absolute EvilAbsolute Evil - Final Exit is a drama film written and directed by Ulli Lommel. The film stars Carolyn Neff, Rusty Joiner and David Carradine. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 8, 2009.- Plot:...
|
Raf McCane |
|
| Crank: High Voltage |
Poon Dong |
|
| Road of No Return |
Mr. Hover |
|
| The Rain |
Clive Jonis |
|
| Bad Cop |
Detective Humes |
|
| All Hell Broke Loose |
Ian McHenry |
|
| 2010 |
True Legend True Legend is a 2010 martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, starring Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, David Carradine, Guo Xiaodong, Feng Xiaogang, Cung Le, Gordon Liu, Bryan Leung and Jacky Heung....
|
Anton |
|
| Autumn |
Phillip |
|
| Money to Burn |
Klau |
|
| Detention |
Principal Hoskins |
|
| Shopkeeper |
|
| 2011 |
Stretch Stretch is a 2011 English-language film directed by Charles de Meaux. It stars Nicolas Cazalé, Fan Bingbing and David Carradine. After Carradine's death during production, his widow Annie Bierman sued MK2 Productions, the film's production company, for negligence.- Cast :* Nicolas Cazalé as...
|
Monteiro |
Final performance; David Morris was his replacement for unfinished scenes |
| 2012 |
Eldorado Eldorado is an upcoming horror-comedy film. It is directed and written by Richard Driscoll and stars Peter O'Toole, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen. The film also stars Brigitte Nielsen, Kerry Washington, Jeff Fahey, Steve Guttenberg and Bill Moseley...
|
The Spirit Guide |
Production completed in 2009 |
| Television |
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1963 |
East Side/West Side East Side/West Side is an American drama series starring George C. Scott, Elizabeth Wilson, Cicely Tyson, and later on, Linden Chiles. The series aired for only one season and was shown Monday nights on CBS.-Synopsis:...
|
Hal Sewoski |
1 episode |
| 1964 |
The VirginianThe Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
|
The Utah Kid |
1 episode |
| 1965 |
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre is an anthology television series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967...
|
Fitzhugh |
1 episode |
| 1966 |
Shane Shane is an American Western television series based on the 1949 book of the same name by Jack Schaefer . The series was created by Herschel Daugherty and Gary Nelson, and starred David Carradine as the title character...
|
ShaneShane is a 1949 western book by Jack Schaefer. It is often considered his greatest novel.-Plot:Note: This description is a combination of the movie and the book, and is not representative of the novel itself....
|
16 episodes |
| 1967 |
Cimarron Strip Cimarron Strip is an American Western television series that aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown, the series was produced by the creators of Gunsmoke...
|
Gene Gauge |
1 episode "The Hunted" |
| Johnny Belinda Johnny Belinda is a television movie directed by Paul Bogart and Gary Nelson. It is based upon the play, Johnny Belinda by Elmer Blaney Harris.-Cast:*Ian Bannen - Dr. Jack Richardson*David Carradine - Locky*Mia Farrow - Belinda MacDonald...
|
Locky |
Television film |
| 1970 |
The Name of the Game The Name of the Game is an American television series starring Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack that ran from 1968 to 1971 on NBC, totaling 76 episodes of 90 minutes. It was a pioneering wheel series, setting the stage for the likes of The Bold Ones and the NBC Mystery Movie in the 1970s...
|
Jason |
1 episode |
| 1971 |
Gunsmoke Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
|
Clint |
1 episode |
| Night Gallery Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
|
Gideon |
1 episode |
| 1968–1971 |
IronsideIronside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
|
Frank Carson,
Luke Roberts,
Pogo Reems
|
3 episodes |
| 1972–1975 |
Kung Fu Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
|
Kwai Chang Caine Kwai Chang Caine [虔官昌 or 拐杖棍 Qián Guānchāng] is a fictional television character in the 1972–1975 western television series, Kung Fu. He has been portrayed by David Carradine as an adult, Keith Carradine as a younger Caine and Radames Pera the child Caine and Stephen Manley as the youngest...
|
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama |
| 1975 |
The Family Holvak |
Craw |
2 sequential episodes |
| 1979 |
Mr. Horn Mr. Horn is a 1979 made for TV movie chronicling the life of Tom Horn. It was directed byJack Starrett from a screenplay by William Goldman.-Starring:*David Carradine as Tom Horn*Richard Widmark as Albert Sieber*Karen Black as Ernestina Crawford...
|
Tom Horn Thomas "Tom" Horn, Jr. was an American Old West lawman, scout, soldier, hired gunman, detective, outlaw and assassin. On the day before his 43rd birthday, he was hanged in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the murder of Willie Nickell.-Early life:Born to Thomas S. Horn, Sr...
|
Television film |
| 1980 |
Gauguin the Savage |
Paul GauguinEugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
|
Television film |
| High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane |
Ben Irons |
Television film |
| 1981 |
Darkroom Darkroom was an American television thriller series that aired on ABC from November 27, 1981 to January 15, 1982. It was an anthology horror/thriller series, similar in style to Rod Serling's Night Gallery. Each 60 minute episode featured two or more stories of varying length with a new story and...
|
Biker/Hitchhiker |
1 episode |
| 1983 |
The Fall GuyThe Fall Guy is an American action/adventure television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series...
|
Pat Patterson |
1 episode |
| Faces of Culture (TV Series 1983) |
narrator (voice only) |
Documentary |
| 1984 |
AirwolfAirwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
|
Dr. Robert Winchester |
1 episode |
| Partners in Crime |
Hermanski |
1 episode |
The Fall GuyThe Fall Guy is an American action/adventure television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series...
|
Caretaker |
1 episode "October the 31st October the 31st is an episode of the American television series The Fall Guy, which starred Lee Majors. This episode first appeared on October 31, 1984. There were two guest stars in this episode, veteran horror movie actor, John Carradine and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark...
" with John CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
, Keith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
and Robert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
|
| Jealousy |
Bobby Dee |
Television film |
| 1985 |
North and SouthNorth and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
|
Justin LaMotte |
Miniseries
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1986 |
Kung Fu: The Movie |
Kwai Chang Caine Kwai Chang Caine [虔官昌 or 拐杖棍 Qián Guānchāng] is a fictional television character in the 1972–1975 western television series, Kung Fu. He has been portrayed by David Carradine as an adult, Keith Carradine as a younger Caine and Radames Pera the child Caine and Stephen Manley as the youngest...
|
Television film |
| 1987 |
Six Against the Rock |
Bernard "Bernie" Paul Coy |
Television film |
Night HeatNight Heat is a Canadian police drama series, which aired on CTV from 1985 to 1991. The show also aired on CBS in the United States from 1987 to 1993 and was the first Canadian-produced drama series to air on an American network...
|
Theodore Telford |
1 episode |
MatlockMatlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
|
Jimmy Legrand |
1 episode "The Country Boy" |
| 1988 |
I Saw What You Did |
Stephen |
Television film |
| 1989 |
MatlockMatlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
|
Steve Mazarowski |
2 episodes "The Prisoner: Part 1" and "The Prisoner: Part 2" |
| 1990 |
The Young RidersThe Young Riders is an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War...
|
The Buzzard Eater |
1 episode |
| The Ray Bradbury Theater The Ray Bradbury Theater is an anthology series that ran for two seasons on HBO, three episodes per season from 1985 to 1986, and four additional seasons on USA Network from 1988 to 1992. It was later shown in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel...
|
Spender |
Ep.#37 "And the Moon Be Still as Bright" |
| 1991 |
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw |
Kwai Chang Caine |
Television film |
| 1993–1997 |
Kung Fu: The Legend ContinuesKung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
|
Kwai Chang Caine |
88 episodes |
| 1997 |
Last Stand at Saber River Last Stand at Saber River is a 1997 television movie starring Tom Selleck, based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Elmore Leonard. Directed by Dick Lowry, the film also featured Suzy Amis, Haley Joel Osment, Tracey Needham, Keith Carradine, David Carradine, and Harry Carey Jr..In 1997, Osment...
|
Duane Kidston |
Television film
With Keith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
|
| 1999 |
CharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
|
Tempus |
1 episode |
| 2001 |
Queen of Swords |
El Serpiente |
2 episodes "The Serpent" and "End of Days" (Flashback Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
) |
| Warden of Red Rock |
Mike Sullivan |
Television film |
Lizzie McGuireLizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...
|
Himself |
1 episode "Between a Rock and a Bra Place" |
Jackie Chan AdventuresJackie Chan Adventures is an animated television series chronicling the adventures of a fictionalized version of action film star Jackie Chan. Many of the episodes contain references to Chan's actual works. This series ran on Kids' WB! from September 9, 2000 to July 7, 2005 for a total of 95...
|
Lo Pei |
1 episode "The Warrior Incarnate" |
TitusTitus is an American dark comedy sitcom that debuted on Fox in 2000. The series was created by its star, Christopher Titus, Jack Kenny, and Brian Hargrove...
|
Bob |
1 episode "Houseboat" |
| 2002 |
The Outsider The Outsider is a 2002 Western film starring Tim Daly and Naomi Watts. The film is based on Penelope Williamson's novel. Similar to Angel and the Badman where John Wayne plays a wounded outlaw who is sheltered by a Quaker family.-Plot summary:...
|
Haines |
Television film |
King of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
|
Junichiro Hill (voice) |
2 episodes |
| 2003–2004 |
AliasAlias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
|
Conrad |
2 episodes |
| 2003–2005 |
Wild West TechWild West Tech was a program that aired on The History Channel in the United States. The show was originally hosted by Keith Carradine , but his brother, David Carradine took over hosting duties for season 2 and subsequent seasons...
|
Host |
21 episodes (host for season 2 and 3) |
| 2005–2006 |
Danny PhantomDanny Phantom is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. The show was about a teenage half-ghost boy, who frequently saves his town and the world from ghost attacks, while attempting to keep his ghost half a secret...
|
Clockwork (voice) |
2 episodes |
| 2006 |
MediumMedium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
|
Jessica's Brother |
1 episode |
| 2007 |
In Case of Emergency In Case of Emergency was a half-hour comedy television series shown on ABC in the United States. The series follows a group of high school acquaintances whose lives have not turned out as they hoped...
|
Guru Danny |
1 episode |
| 2008 |
Son of the Dragon |
Bird |
Miniseries |
| 2009 |
MentalMental is a television series produced by Fox's subsidiary Fox Telecolombia, which aired in the summer and fall of 2009 on FOX international channels for Latin America, Europe and Asia, starring Chris Vance and Annabella Sciorra...
|
Gideon Graham |
1 episode |
| Celebrity Ghost Stories |
Himself |
1 episode |
| 2010 |
Dinocroc vs. Supergator Dinocroc vs. Supergator is a 2010 television film that premiered on Syfy on June 26, 2010. This is one of David Carradine's final performances. The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on July 12, 2011.-Plot:...
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Jason Drake |
Television film |
Awards and honors
- 1966 Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
, Royal Hunt of the Sun
- 1974 TP de Oro
The TP de Oro is a Spanish award given since 1973, to honour, mostly, Spanish, but also foreign television series. The TP de Oro is considered to be the most prestigious Spanish awards for television.-External links:* *...
,Spain. Best Foreign Actor, Kung Fu
- 1997 Gold Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, Television
- 1998: Honoree — The 16th Annual Golden Boot Awards
The Golden Boot Awards honor actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies. The award is sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund...
(along with brothers KeithKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
and RobertRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
)
- 2005: Action On Film International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award — First annual recipient
- 2005: Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
, Best Supporting Actor, Kill BillKill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
- 2008 Honoree — Walk of Western Stars
External links