Jun 4 2009David Carradine Found Dead at 72
Various sources are reporting that actor David Carradine, most famous for his roles as Caine in the various Kung Fu series, Frankenstein in Death Race 2000, Yellow Book Ad Guru, and more recently, the eponymous target in Kill Bill, has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room.
Details are still coming in, but thus far the cause sounds like something between suicide and a botched magic trick, with BBC News explaining, "the 72-year-old was found by a hotel maid sitting in a wardrobe with a rope around his neck and body"
He is survived by a wife and four children; sympathies go out to them.
(And thanks to everyone who sent the sad news in.)
Reader Comments
1. bill kill - June 4, 2009 11:16 AM
autoerotic asphyxiation? you will be missed :(
2. Nick - June 4, 2009 11:19 AM
That's bizarre. And the last thing I expected to hear this morning. He will be missed.
3. isacult - June 4, 2009 11:41 AM
So...I'm thinking it was either crazy hooker sex gone terribly wrong (I mean what happens in Bangkok stays in.... hotel rooms) or he found out he had a terminal disease and just ended it before he became a shell of his former self. Or who knows, maybe he owed money to the Thai mafia. Or he slipped while hanging up his robe... Or who knows. This just comes as a huge shock to me because I was just discussing how epicly awesome Kung Fu was and one of the only saving graces of Kill Bill was his addition. See you in heaven Kwai Chang
4. sokka - June 4, 2009 11:44 AM
he was an awesome man...
i figure he knew he was immortal never being able to die of natural causes
so he decided that it would suck to live forever
5. yan - June 4, 2009 11:45 AM
how horrible must the movie you are starring in be to kill yourself to get out of the contract
6. sportner - June 4, 2009 11:49 AM
FYI that article used to say the rope was around his "genitals" instead of "body", they changed it p. quick though.
7. Joe - June 4, 2009 12:10 PM
He was great in his last movie "Big Stan", he really should have done more comedy.
The "cleaning" his sword scene was great.
8. toni - June 4, 2009 12:37 PM
that sword scne is was great, good men love to him peace but son wire city for die...
9. Dogless - June 4, 2009 12:38 PM
Life must get really boring when you're 72. Oh, and Bruce Lee should have been in Kung Fu.
10. Pat - June 4, 2009 12:44 PM
Now who will walk the earth alone like Kane? ::sigh:: RIP David.
11. Chris Ronk - June 4, 2009 1:15 PM
What a gigantic bummer. I grew up watching Kung Fu. This really saddens me.
12. CDR - June 4, 2009 1:18 PM
Wow. I am very surprised by this. I didn't want him to go, but I guess he didn't want to be here anymore.
I hope his family is ok.
13. ac-dc - June 4, 2009 1:33 PM
David Carradine, star of the 1970s television series "Kung Fu." has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room.
Read more and see a movie about his life here:David Carradine-film
14. eric - June 4, 2009 3:03 PM
Erotic auto-asphyxiation anyone?
15. jeremy - June 4, 2009 3:04 PM
So sad. RIP.
16. Samspa Pandino - June 4, 2009 4:58 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.
17. Tom - June 4, 2009 9:15 PM
Awesome person. Keep rocking.
18. His Huge Greatness Himself - June 5, 2009 7:24 AM
You may never know sometimes what plays in somebody's else mind.Some people have various carefully built masks.but i'd believe as well it was an unfortunate accident.Again,we send our most sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.
19. The Bride - June 5, 2009 10:49 AM
It looks like Uma finally got him. The reports are wrong. When he took that fifth step his heart exploded....
He will be greatly missed
20. Michael - June 6, 2009 1:55 AM
So fondly remembered by many over here in New Zealand back in 1973-74 as the little "Grasshopper" in Kung Fu. Maybe where he wants to be now...
21. haha - June 8, 2009 12:21 AM
@18
Your right about the masks thing. As a cop my dad dealt with carradine more than once when he lived in toronto. he'd run away from set to go to bars and once ran out into the middle of a intersection shit out of his mind. Everyone has their own demons. He'll be missed for sure though.
22. Tobamel - June 8, 2009 10:48 PM
tragic loss; his show was a standard for Kung Fu cinema
23. frank - June 14, 2009 1:12 PM
Carradine is survived by his four year old daughter, BB.