Kill Bill and Kung Fu star David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room on Thursday. A US embassy official confirmed the actor's death, but added that the cause of death had not yet been established.
Carradine was part of an acting dynasty which included his father, John Carradine, and brothers Bruce, Keith and Robert.
The star was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV series Kung Fu, which spawned sequels in the '80s and '90s.
The character became one of the most iconic roles in US TV and earned Carradine both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
While his film career saw him working with directors including Martin Scorsese and Ingmar Bergman, the cult actor was considered something of a B-movie legend.
In 2003, after years in the straight-to-video market, Carradine found a new audience thanks to his role in the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill.
He was most recently seen on the big screen as a Chinese mobster in Crank: High Voltage, opposite British actor Jason Statham.
Carradine was an accomplished composer, musician, musical performer and songwriter. According to his official website, he was also a sculptor and a painter.
He leaves his wife, Annie Bierman, and three children including actresses Calista and Kansas.
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Kung Fu star David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room on Thursday 4th June 2009
Kung Fu Star David Carradine Dies
Kung Fu star David Carradine dies - It was believed Carradine - who rose to fame as Grasshopper in cult 70s TV series Kung Fu - had committed suicide. But there was no note and pals insisted he was full of life and always wanting to work. A maid found the 72-year-old Carradine naked in a wardrobe with a cord around his neck and other parts of his body. Police said the actor's body was found in a suite at the 5-star Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel.
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Comments
Very sad, i grew up with Davids Character in Kung foo and as a child after watching his shows we would all go outside and suddenly we were the Kung Foo masters..
Very sad to hear, and worse stilll if its been suicide..questions im sure are now abound about why, but sadly only one person could have answered that question..
RIP Kung Foo Master - The Grasshopper
M.
By Mark1 on 04 Jun 2009