David Carradine

Born: 1936-12-08 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Died: 2009-06-03

Known For: Acting

Biography

David Carradine (born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series Kung Fu, playing Kwai Chang Caine, a peace-loving Shaolin monk travelling through the American Old West. He also portrayed the title character of both of the Kill Bill films. He appeared in two Martin Scorsese films: Boxcar Bertha and Mean Streets. David Carradine was a member of the Carradine family of actors that began with his father, John Carradine. The elder Carradine's acting career, which included major and minor roles on stage, television, and in cinema, spanned more than four decades. A prolific "B" movie actor, David Carradine appeared in more than 100 feature films in a career spanning more than six decades. He received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for his work on Kung Fu, and received three additional Golden Globe nominations for his performances in the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory (1976), the television miniseries North and South (1985), and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume 2, for which he won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. Throughout his life, Carradine was arrested and prosecuted for a variety of offenses, which often involved substance abuse. Films that featured Carradine continued to be released after his death. These posthumous credits were from a variety of genres including action, documentaries, drama, horror, martial arts, science fiction, and westerns. In addition to his acting career, Carradine was a director and musician. Moreover, influenced by his Kung Fu role, he studied martial arts. On April 1, 1997, Carradine received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Carradine, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

2025

Mata Hari as Self (archive footage)

2019

Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks as Self (archive footage)

2016

A Tale of James Brown as Self

2014

Madam Secretary as President Conrad Dalton

2013

Die schlechtesten Filme aller Zeiten as John Tucker (archive Footage)
Madoff: Made Off with America as Neal

2012

Eldorado as The Spirit Guide
Night of the Templar as Shopkeeper

2011

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair as Bill (Snake Charmer)
Corman's World as Self - Actor
Stretch as Monteiro

2010

True Legend as Anthony
Dinocroc vs. Supergator as Jason Drake
Detention as Principal Hoskins
Six Days in Paradise as Vernon Billings

2009

Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
Crank: High Voltage as Poon Dong
Mental as Gideon Graham
My Suicide as Vargas
Break as The Bishop
Starz Inside - Unforgettably Evil as Self
Tattoos: A Scarred History as Self
Road of No Return as Mr. Hover
Autumn as Philip
Absolute Evil as Raf McCane
Dark Fields as Clive Jonis
Bad Cop as Det. Humes
All Hell Broke Loose as Marshal Ian McHenry

2008

Death Race as Frankenstein (voice)
Hell Ride as The Deuce
Kung Fu Killer as Crane
Son of the Dragon as Bird
Camille as Cowboy Bob
Kung Fu Killer as Crane
Last Hour as Detective Mike Stone
Naked Movie as Self
Kandisha as The American
The Golden Boys as Capt. Zebulon Hedge
A Vampire Reformed as Self

2007

Big Stan as The Master
Epic Movie as Museum Curator
In Case of Emergency as Guru Danny
How to Rob a Bank as Nick
Homo Erectus as Mookoo / Uncle Unky
Fall Down Dead as Wade Douglas
Being Michael Madsen as Self
Treasure Raiders as Pierre
Richard III as Buckingham
The Ultimate Fighter as Mikhail
Fuego as Lobo
Permanent Vacation as Old Man
Spiral Fitness Beginnings as Self

2006

Celebrity Paranormal Project as Self
The Last Sect as Van Helsing
Final Move as Captain Baker

2005

Medium as Jessica's Brother
Ringers: Lord of the Fans as Self
Brothers in Arms as Driscoll
Miracle at Sage Creek as Ike
Danny Phantom: The Ultimate Enemy as Clockwork (voice)

2004

Danny Phantom as Clockwork (voice)
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 as Bill 'Snake Charmer'
Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon as Grand Master
Hair High as Mr. Snerz (voice)
The Making of 'Kill Bill Vol. 2' as Self
Dead & Breakfast as Mr. Wise
Last Goodbye as Fred McGillicuddie
UnConventional as Self
Away from Home as Self

2003

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 as Bill
Eve as Kung Fu Master
Wild West Tech as Self - Host
Lost Bullet as Michael Morrison
American Reel as James Lee Springer

2002

Balto: Wolf Quest as Nava the Wolf Shaman (voice)
The Outsider as Doctor Lucas Henry
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies as Self
Modern Warriors as Self

2001

Lizzie McGuire as Self
Alias as Conrad
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross as Self
Largo Winch as Nério Winch
The Nightmare Room as Mr. Farber
Warden of Red Rock as Mike Sullivan
By Dawn's Early Light as Nick Decker
The Donor as Mike
Down 'n Dirty as Gil Garner
Out of the Wilderness as Clint Dugan
Guaranteed on Delivery as Norman Williams

2000

Jackie Chan Adventures as Lo Pei (voice)
Titus as Bob Hawkins
Nightfall as Gnomen
Full Blast as Maceo
Dangerous Curves as Lemmy
Kung Fu Action Masters as Narrator

1993

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as Houston Currier
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues as Kwai Chang Caine
Acapulco H.E.A.T. as Victor Garrison
Kill Zone as Col. Horace Wiggins
Code... Death: Frontera Sur as Colonel

1992

Animal Instincts as William Lamberti
Human Target as Harry Solow
Evil Toons as Gideon Fisk
Double Trouble as Mr. C
Waxwork II: Lost in Time as The Beggar
Distant Justice as Joe Foley
Kung Fu - A Legend Reborn as Kwai Chang Caine
Roadside Prophets as Othello Jones
Night Rhythms as Vincent

1991

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat as Mardulak
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw as Kwai-Chang Caine
Dune Warriors as Michael
Brotherhood of the Gun as Artemis McBride
Karate Cop as Dad
Project Eliminator as Ron Morrell
Capital Punishment as Michale Maltin
Midnight Fear as Hanley
Deadly Surveillance as Lieutenant
Field of Fire as Gen. Corman

1990

Bird on a Wire as Eugene Sorensen
Martial Law as Dalton Rhodes
Future Zone as John Tucker
That's Action as John Tucker (archive footage) (uncredited)

1989

Sonny Boy as Pearl
Think Big as Sweeney
Future Force as John Tucker
Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II as Dark One
Warlords as Dow
The Cover Girl and the Cop as Slade
Try This One for Size as Bradley
Nowhere to Run as Harmon
Night Children as Max Crawford
Crime of Crimes as Frank McEntire
The Mad Bunch as Professor Foxwood
The Trace of Lynx

1988

Crime Zone as Jason
Fatal Secret as Michael LeWinter
Tropical Snow as Oskar
Open Fire as Joe Rourke
I Saw What You Did as Stephen
Run for Your Life as Maggiore Charles Forsythe
Animal Protector as Col. Whitlock

1987

Six Against the Rock as Bernard 'Bernie' Paul Coy
The Misfit Brigade as Col. Von Weisshagen
Heartbeat as Man Playing Dice

1986

Matlock as Jimmy Legrand
Wedden, dat..? as Self
P.O.W. The Escape as Col. James Cooper
Armed Response as Jim Roth
Oceans of Fire as J.C. Busch
Kung Fu: The Movie as Kwai Chang Caine

1985

Amazing Stories as Calvin
North and South as Justin LaMotte
The Ray Bradbury Theater as Spender
The Bad Seed as Leroy Jessup

1984

Airwolf as Dr. Robert Winchester
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense as Michael/Harris
Partners in Crime as Hermanski
The Warrior and the Sorceress as Kain
On the Line as Bryant
Jealousy as Bobby Dee
A Distant Scream as Michael

1983

Lone Wolf McQuade as Rawley Wilkes
Faces of Culture as Narrator

1982

Q: The Winged Serpent as Shepard
Trick or Treats as Richard Adams
Safari 3000 as Eddie Miles
The Best of Sex and Violence as Self - Cameo Appearance

1981

Today's F.B.I. as The Leader
Americana as The American Soldier

1980

The Long Riders as Cole Younger
Cloud Dancer as Brad Randolph
High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane as Ben Irons
Gauguin the Savage as Paul Gauguin

1979

Mr. Horn as Tom Horn
Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider as Charlie Swattle
Mr. Horn as Tom Horn
I've Got You, You've Got Me by the Chin Hairs as Le professeur d'arts martiaux à LAPD

1978

Circle of Iron as The Blind Man / Monkeyman / Death / Changsha
Gray Lady Down as Captain Gates
Deathsport as Kaz Oshay
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel as Self
Old Friends... New Friends as Self

1977

The Serpent's Egg as Abel Rosenberg
Thunder and Lightning as Harley Thomas

1976

Cannonball as Coy "Cannonball" Buckman
Bound for Glory as Woody Guthrie

1975

Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
Midi Première as Self
Death Race 2000 as Frankenstein
The Family Holvak as Craw
You and Me as Zeto
Long Way Home as Craw Dantley

1973

Mean Streets as Drunk
The Long Goodbye as Dave aka Socrates (uncredited)

1972

Boxcar Bertha as Big Bill Shelly
Kung Fu as Kwai Chang Caine
Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon as Kwai Chang Caine

1971

Macho Callahan as David Mountford
Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring as Flack

1970

Night Gallery as Gideon
The McMasters as White Feather

1969

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys as Waco
Heaven with a Gun as Coke Beck
Young Billy Young as Jesse Boone

1968

The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
The Name of the Game as Jason Blake

1967

Ironside as Pogo Weems
Cimarron Strip as Gene Gauge
The Violent Ones as Lucas Barnes
Johnny Belinda as Locky
The Hunted as Gene Gauge

1966

Shane as Shane
Too Many Thieves as Felix

1965

Taggart as Cal Dodge
Bus Riley's Back in Town as Stretch

1963

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as Fitzhugh
Arrest and Trial as Wally Carpen

1962

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Edward Clarke
The Virginian as The Utah Kid
The Merv Griffin Show as Self

1961

The Mike Douglas Show as Self

1956

Tony Awards as Self - Presenter

1955

Gunsmoke as Clint

1944

Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee