David Carradine
David Carradine (born John Arthur Carradine on December 8, 1936 in Hollywood, California) is an American actor.
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Career
Carradine is best known for his roles as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s television series Kung Fu (as well as the sequels in the 1980s and 1990s), 'Big' Bill Shelly in Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha (1972), folksinger Woody Guthrie in Bound for Glory (1976), Abel Rosenberg in Ingmar Bergman's The Serpent's Egg (1977), and as Bill in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. I (2003) and Vol. II (2004).
Other notable roles include the lead in Shane (the television series based upon the film) and a gunslinger in Taggart, a 1964 western film based on a novel by Louis L'Amour. More recently, he portrayed Tempus on the television series Charmed and Conrad in the television series Alias. He currently appears as the host of Wild West Tech on the History Channel, taking over the duties from his brother Keith. Carradine is also known for producing and starring in several exercise videos teaching the martial arts of Tai chi and Qi Gong exercises. Carradine actually had no knowledge of martial arts prior to starring in the series Kung Fu, but developed an interest in it after this experience and has since become an avid practitioner.
Background and family
Carradine is the son of noted American actor John Carradine. Born of Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh, German, Spanish, Ukrainian, Cherokee and Italian descent, he is the half-brother of Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, Bruce Carradine, and Michael Bowen. He is also the uncle of Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.
He studied drama at San Francisco State University before working as an actor on stage as well as in television and cinema.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 2006 | Richard III | Buckingham | |
| 2004 | Kill Bill: Vol. II | Bill | |
| 2004 | Danny Phantom | Clockwork (starting in 2005). | Television |
| 2003 | Kill Bill: Vol. I | Bill | |
| 2001 | Alias | Conrad | Television |
| 2001 | Lizzie McGuire | Himself | Television |
| 1999 | Charmed | Tempus | Television |
| 1993-1997 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Kwai Chang Caine | Television |
| 1991 | Karate Cop | "Dad" | |
| 1990 | Bird On A Wire | Sorenson | |
| 1986 | Kung Fu:The Movie | Kwai Chang Caine | Television |
| 1986 | Behind Enemy Lines | Col.James Cooper | |
| 1985 | North and South | Justin LaMotte | Television |
| 1984 | The Warrior and the Sorceress | Kain | |
| 1983 | Lone Wolf McQuade | Rawley Wilkes | |
| 1983 | Americana | The American Soldier | |
| 1980 | The Long Riders | Cole Younger | |
| 1979 | Mr. Horn | Tom Horn | Television |
| 1978 | Gray Lady Down | Capt. Gates | |
| 1978 | Circle of Iron | The Blind Man/Monkeyman/Death/Changsha | |
| 1977 | The Serpent's Egg | Abel Rosenberg | |
| 1976 | Bound for Glory | Woody Guthrie | |
| 1976 | Cannonball | Coy 'Cannonball' Buckman | |
| 1975 | Death Race 2000 | Frankenstein | |
| 1973 | Mean Streets | Drunk | |
| 1972-1975 | Kung Fu | Kwai Chang Caine | Television |
| 1972 | Boxcar Bertha | 'Big' Bill Shelly | |
| 1967 | The Violent Ones | Lucas Barnes | |
| 1967 | Johnny Belinda | Locky | Television |
| 1966 | Shane | Shane | Television |
| 1964 | Taggart | Cal Dodge |
Awards
Winner:
- 2005: Action On Film International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award [1]
- 2004: Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor - Kill Bill.
- 1976: National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Best Actor, - Bound for Glory.
Nominated:
- 2005: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture, Kill Bill.
- 1986: Golden Globe Awards: Mini-series, Best Supporting Actor, North and South.
- 1977: Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, Bound for Glory.
- 1974: Golden Globe Awards: Television, Best Actor, Drama , Kung Fu.
Trivia
- Carradine appears in an episode of Disney's Lizzie McGuire. In this episode, an upcoming Jet Li film is auditioning boys the age of Lizzie's brother Matt for the role of the sidekick. Carradine plays an old friend of Lizzie's father, Sam McGuire, who teaches Matt a few Kung fu moves for his audition tape. When asked how he knows Carradine's character, Mr. McGuire replies cryptically, "He's like a brother to me." This is an in-joke as the actor who portrays Sam, Robert Carradine, is David Carradine's actual (half-) brother. Additionally, a large portion of the episode is spent in parody of Kung Fu, one of Carradine's most famous projects.
- He has also provided his voice for episodes of King of the Hill where he voiced the character of Hank's Japanese half brother who lives in Japan.
- He provided the voice for Lo Pei, the ancient warrior who was responsible for Shendu's petrification in the animated series: Jackie Chan Adventures.
- He has twice played a supernatural being with the power to control time: Tempus on Charmed and Clockwork on Danny Phantom.
- In 2006, he became the spokesman in the commercial for the YELLOW BOOK
- Provided the voice for Sharp, leader of the Westside Rollerz gang, on the video game Saint's Row.
- He also had an unusual guest appearance in an episode of Medium: he played the spirit of a murdered mentally disturbed mathematician whose constant fantasies of being a hero caused him to believe he looked like David Carradine (which reflected in the appearance of his spirit). In the end of the episode, after his murderer is caught, he seems to improve and tells Allison that next time they meet he will "look more like [himself]".
References
- Carradine, David. Endless Highway. Boston: Journey Editions, 1995.
- Pilato, Herbie J. The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV's First Mystical Eastern Western. Boston: Charles A. Tuttle, 1993.
External links
- David Carradine at the Internet Movie Database
- David Carradine at the Internet Broadway Database
- [2] Fan site with photos, videos and news about David
- tv.com
- Onion interview
- IGN interview with David Carradine
- "A Fresh Thing": David Carradine
- panartist.com
Categories
American television actors | American film actors | American B-movie actors | Alias actors | Charmed actors | Matlock actors | Lizzie McGuire actors | American wushu practitioners | San Francisco State University alumni | Cherokee people | People from the Greater Los Angeles Area | American vegetarians | 1936 births | Living people | Hollywood Walk of Fame