David Carradine, best known for his work in Kung Fu and Kill Bill, was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room today. He was 72.
Initial reports from Fox News state have stated that Carradine was found hanging in his hotel room using cords from the curtains.
According to his agent, Carradine was staying at the hotel since Tuesday, but failed to attend a dinner with the cast and crew on Wednesday. Police reports from around 10 a.m. this morning state that Carradine had been dead for at least 12 hours.
Carradine was a jack-of-all-trades in the Hollywood set, working not just as an Academy Award-nominated actor (as Woody Guthrie in Bound for Glory), but as a writer (Kung Fu: The Legend Continues), composer (Kill Bill: Vol. 2), editor (Americana), voice actor (for the video game Saints Row), and even directed a few episodes of Lizzie McGuire.
For those who don’t know him, here’s a nice little clip from Kill Bill, Vol. 2, in which Carradine played the titular Bill, in which he, perhaps fittingly for this site, discusses comic book dualities:
June 4th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Well that’s just sad… Aside from Kill Bill, and an assortment of ads playing off the old Kung Fu image, I don’t think he was really in the public eye much in recent years… But it’s not like he didn’t keep busy. I don’t want to speculate on what, exactly, happened here but I will say that he’ll be missed, Grasshopper.
June 4th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Sad to know this and even more sad is the way he was found. Sympathy to the family and friends.
June 4th, 2009 at 11:25 am
How can anyone forget “Deathrace 2000″?
June 4th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Still in shock over this. My condolences to his family and friends.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
A great actor in my books. He’ll be missed, but always remembered in classics like “Kill Bill,” and “Deathrace 2000.”
June 4th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I really loved His films. And also any time I heard the word monk on the TV he was the first to come in my mind.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Great voice. I’ll miss him.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
The cast and crew of what?
June 4th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
This is pretty upsetting. I hope the best for his family and friends.
June 4th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
To quote Clyde Bruckman: “You know, there are worse ways to go, but I can’t think of a more undignified one than auto-erotic asphyxiation”.
June 5th, 2009 at 2:01 am
first it was suicide, now it’s apparently sexual in nature? anyone know if the Thai police have any idea what they’re doing?
this is a true loss. an incredible and incredibly underappreciated talent.
June 5th, 2009 at 2:04 am
This was a shocker and was very disappointing. I just started becoming a big fan of his work. It depresses me to see prestigious celebrities go out like that.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:47 am
he was 73.
June 5th, 2009 at 5:46 am
@brad
CNN and other sources of record have listed his age as 72. According to IMDB, he was born in December of 1936. As it’s June, he would not have been 73 until December. Thanks.
June 5th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Sad news indeed R.I.P. sir.
June 5th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Sad news. I had the pleasure of meeting at Dragon Con several years ago. He was polite and it was great joy to meet.
I have been of Kung Fu since it first aired. Tonight it is time for a Kung Fu marathon.
Rest In Peace, Grasshopper.
June 5th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Here is a tee for us Carradine fans, http://www.beastwear.se/David_Carradine.391?lang=en
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:01 am
“David Carradine: The Eye of My Tornado” is a new book about the death of the late actor. It’s written by his ex-wife, Marina Anderson, and promises to get to the bottom of Carradine’s bizarre death.