Friday, June 05, 2009

Obituary: David Carradine 1936-2009

The entertainment world was shocked yesterday at news of the sudden death of one of its more memorable actors, David Carradine [72].

The Golden Globe-nominated and Saturn Award winning star was discovered dead hanging from a curtain rope within a closet in a Bangkok hotel room by a maid. He was well known for many roles, but most recently for playing Bill in Quentin Tarantino's hit Kill Bill movies.

Born John Arthur Carradine in 1936, he began an illustrious acting career on Broadway before becoming most widely known for the 1970s TV series Kung-Fu where he played the main character Kwai Chang "Grasshopper" Caine for 60 episodes for which he was nominated for a Prime-Time Emmy. He later reprised the role for 88 episodes of a spin-off - Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues. He also had roles in the epic mini-series North and South and made guest appearances on Airwolf, Alias and Charmed. Among his more memorable movie roles are Frankenstein in Death Race 2000 [1975], Rawley Wilkes in Lone Wolf McQuade with Chuck Norris [1983], Sorenson in Bird On A Wire with Mel Gibson [1990] and he did a voiceover for the re-imagined version of Frankenstein in the 2008 Death Race movie. His final film role was recently reviewed here was as Poon Dong, the bizarre, aged head of a Chinese Triad gang.

Carradine's family, friends and manager have expressed disbelief at claims he killed himself which was the initial Police assumption. His Kill Bill co-star Vivica Fox said: "I would have never, ever thought that he would kill himself. I find that to be almost unbelievable that he hung himself. He did not seem like the person that would take his own life. It just seems so out of character." Some have even speculated that the martial arts hero may have been a victim of auto-erotic asphyxiation. Some reports, as yet unconfirmed, have stated that in addition to having a rope tied around his neck, there was also a rope tied around his genitals.

CCTV cameras do not show anyone entering or leaving the hotel room and the door was locked from inside according to police. Further complicating the matter would is this excerpt from a 2004 interview:

"There was a period in my life when I had a single action Colt 45, loaded, in my desk drawer. And every night I'd take it out and think about blowing my head off, and then decide not to and go on with my life."

Carradine leaves behind his 5th wife, three children and a considerable body of work for which he will be remembered. May he rest in peace.

10 comments:

vaughan said...

Can you blame him for being depressed....the second last film I saw him in was at the film festival last year in Los Angeles...his charcter was shown to be evil by making the hero have sex with a beautiful young woman for the entertainment of Carradines pet "dwarf" (and no that is not a double entendre , Carradines character actually had a pet dwarf chained up like a dog!)

It is sad though because outside of Kill Bill , Grey lady down and Kung Fu he appeared in a lot of trash ( I include North and South in that) and yet...he was a part of my Childhood and I will always remember him for Saturday Nights playing a Shaolin Monk called Cain.

Constance said...

Depressed? I don't believe it. I think it was Auto Erotic Asphyxiation gone wrong.

Bruce Russell said...

And when Constance talks about Auto Erotic Asphyxiation, I listen!

vaughan said...

Well now it's all getting sordid ...Carradines fourth wife has come out and revealed that she divorced him over his perverse sexual practices....however at the weekend a local thai newspaper rag published the picture of Carradine dead hanging in his cupboard ...his upset family after hearing descriptions of ths called the FBI who are looking into starting their own investigation ...why? Well as well as revealing Carradines Corpse ...the picture shows the way Carradine was strung up and there is no way he could have done it himself , someone else had to be in the room to tie him up ...someone who is now missing.

Constance said...

Oh honey, it is beyond sordid! (we have now entered the beauty salon gossip portion of the commenting.)

I read that the Thai newspapers leaked the photo. I also read that there was rope tied around his man parts.

With all the um... availability of ... "for fee personal services" that I think are available in Thailand (watch it, Bruce Russell!), this could have been a rendezvous gone wrong...

Bruce Russell said...

Say, Constance, you seem to *snicker* know an awful lot about *snort* the kind of "professional services" *chortle* available in Thailand . . .

I'm just saying . . .

Constance said...

Well I did have to sit through that whole slide show after you got back from your trip there...

Bruce Russell said...

/rimshot

Constance said...

Thank you ladies and gentlemen, we'll be here all night!

Bruce Russell said...

Try the veal!