David Carradine - Biography

Last Editor: annelise_watkins				David Carradine Biography -   Name : David Carradine Birth name : John Arthur Carradine Date of birth : December 8, 1936 Place of birth : Hollywood, California, USA Died : June 3, 2009 Place of death : Bangkok, Thailand Profession : Actor, producer, director Years active : 1963–2009 Height : 6' 1" (1.85 m) Spouse(s) : Donna Lee Becht (1960–1968) Linda Gilbert (1977–1983) Gail Jensen (1988–1997) Marina Anderson (1998–2001) Annie Bierman (2004–20

David Carradine Trivia -

Son of John Carradine; half-brother of Keith Carradine Robert Carradine and Michael Bowen. Lived with Barbara Hershey. (She added Seagull to her name during this time.) They have a son. [1972-1975] Convicted of drunk driving in October 1989. Served 48 hours in jail and did community service. Has a lifelong fascination with Eastern philosphies and culture which resulted in him writing the book "Spirit Of The Shaolin" about the philosophy of Kung Fu. Uncle of actresses Martha Plimpton and Ever Carradine. Daughter: Calista Miranda Carradine (b. 1962). Son: Free Carradine (b. 1972). Daughter: Kansas Anne Carradine (b. 1978). Began studying the Martial Arts after getting cast in "Kung Fu" (1972). Studied drama at San Francisco State University. September 2004: Was suppose to attended the Armaggeddon Pulp Culture Expo Convention in Wellington, New Zealand as a special "Kill Bill" guest but had to pull out at the last minute due to filming commitments. Brother of Bruce Carradine. To date, he is the only actor who has appeared in films directed by Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman, and Quentin Tarantino. Because of his look, his stint on the TV series "Kung Fu" (1972) and his fascination with Eastern philosophies, people often assume that he is at least part Asian. He isn't. A great deal of his characters posses lethal martial arts skills. This is a nod to his most famous character, the deadly yet benevolent Kwai Chang Caine in the TV series "Kung Fu" (1972). Has been a close friend of Larry Cohen since they served together in the military. Was married to his present wife at the home of Michael Madsen by Vicki Roberts who officiated and pronounced them husband and wife. He was born in Hollywood, but he was brought up all over the country, mostly by boarding school teachers and reform school wardens. Quentin Tarrantino had originally envisioned the character "Bill" in the "Kill Bill" films as a suave "James Bond-type" man and had first approached Warren Beatty for the role. Beatty turned it down and suggested that Quentin get David for the role. He was found naked and hanging dead from a rope in the closet of his luxury Bangkok hotel room on June 4, 2009.

David Carradine Detailed Biography -

Artist, musician, sculptor, writer, composer, Kung-Fu master, film and television icon David Carradine returns to the motion picture screen in what could be his most exciting role to date, playing the title role in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. Carradine is the eldest son of the legendary character actor John Carradine, and now presides over an acting family that includes brothers Keith, Robert, and Michael as well as his daughter Kansas and nieces Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.He was born in Hollywood and educated at San Francisco State College where he studied music theory and composition.It was while writing music for the Drama Department's annual revues that he discovered his own passion for the stage, joining a Shakespearian repertory company and learning his craft on his feet. After a two-year stint in the Army, he found work in New York as a commercial artist and later found fame on Broadway in The Deputy and The Royal Hunt of The Sun, playing an Aztec prince opposite Christopher Plummer's Spanish conquistador.With that experience he returned to Hollywood, landing the short-lived TV series Shane before being tapped to star opposite Barbara Hershey in MartinScorsese's first Hollywood film, Boxcar Bertha (1972). The iconic TV series Kung Fu followed. Originally developed by and for Bruce Lee, it catapulted Carradine to superstardom for the next three years, until he left the series to pursue his film career. Carradine received the Best Actor Award from the National Board of Film Review as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Woody Guthrie in Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory, (1976) and won critical acclaim for his work as Cole Younger in Walter Hill's The Long Riders, (1980) which many believe is his best work to date.Kung Fu also received seven Emmy nominations in its first season including one for Carradine as Best Actor. In addition he won the People's Prize at the Cannes Film Festival's Director's Fortnight for his work on Americana, and a second Golden Globe nomination for his supporting role in North and South. Among his other most notable film credits are You and Me (1972), Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973), Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973), Paul Bartel's Death Race 2000 (1975), Ingmar Bergman's The Serpent's Egg (1977), Gray Lady Down (1978), and Bird on a Wire (1990). Carradine has also continued his devotion to music, and has recorded some 60 tracks in various musical genres and sung in several movies. He makes his home in Los Angeles with his girlfriend Annie, her four children and their three dogs.