Thai police have announced that they have found the body of Kill Bill and Kung Fu actor David Carradine at a hotel in Bangkok. He was 73.
His personal manager, Chuck Bindell, has now confirmed the news, saying that the actor was in Thailand to shoot a new movie called Stretch. He also added that he believed Carradine died of natural causes. However the BBC is now reporting that the Thai police have confirmed to them that the body was found by a maid sitting in a wardrobe at a hotel, with a rope around his neck and body, which would seem to confirm early reports in the Thai press that police believe Carradine committed suicide. The US Embassy in Thailand has also now confirmed the death but refused to give any details “out of respect for the family.”
Born into an acting family, Carradine is probably best remembered for playing Kwai Change Caine in the 1970s TV series, Kung Fu, as well as its 90s revival, Kung Fu Returns. More recently he was seen as the titular character in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2.
Other prominent roles include parts in Deathrace 2000 and the mini-series North & South, while more recently he appeared in Crank 2.
The son of character actor John Carradine, his brothers David Carradine, Keith Carradine and Michael Bowen are also all actors. His daughter’s Calista and Kansas Carradine have also made numerous screen appearances, as have nieces Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.
Despite having appeared in well over 100 movies, David Carradine initially wasn’t going to become an actor, doing a two-year stint in the army before trying to become a commercial artist in New York. However he got parts on Broadway and his success the segued onto the screen, including a role in Martin Scorsese’s first Hollywood production, Boxcar Bertha.
He is survived by his fifth wife, Annie Bierman.