David Carradine
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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.
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 | |
| 2003 | Kill Bill: Vol. I | Bill | |
| 2001 | Alias | Conrad | Television |
| 2001 | Lizzie McGuire | Himself | Television |
| 1999 | Charmed | Tempus | Television |
| 1993-1997 | ' | Kwai Chang Caine | Television |
| 1991 | Karate Cop | "Dad" | |
| 1990 | Bird On A Wire | Sorenson | |
| 1986 | Kwai Chang Caine | Television | |
| 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 | |
| 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 [link]
- 2004: Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor - Kill Bill.
- 1976: National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Best Actor, - Bound for Glory.
- 2005: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture, Kill Bill.
- 1986: , North and South.
- 1977: Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, Bound for Glory.
- 1974: , 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 (Carradine's most famous project next to Kill Bill).
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.
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 Broadway Database]
- [tv.com]
- [Onion interview]
- [IGN interview with David Carradine]
- ["A Fresh Thing": David Carradine]
- [panartist.com]
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