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David Carradine Found Dead Under Unusual Circumstances

June 4, 2009 | Author: Matthew | Filed under: Martial Arts,Recent Events,TV Shows

Breaking news out of Bangkok, Thailand. Actor David Carradine (1936-2009) was found dead earlier today in his Park Nai Lert hotel room. Carradine was reportedly found hanged by the neck, naked, in his closet.

The body was discovered when Carradine was late to a meal with film crew during a recent shooting of Stretch.

According to police officials, there was no sign of struggle and the case will likely be reported as a suicide.

Carradine, 72, was most famous for his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the television series “Kung Fu”. The actor also had an illustrious movie career, recently experiencing a reimergence in popularity due to his work in Kill Bill Volume I and II. Carradine also experienced success in the realms of broadway and voiceover acting.

According to the website TMZ.com, Carradine had expressed some suicidal tendencies in the past. Quote:

“In a 2004 interview dug up by the Telegraph Newspaper, the 72-year-old actor revealed that he once considered shooting himself, saying: ‘Look, there was a period in my life when I had a single action Colt 45, loaded, in my desk drawer.

And every night I’d take it out and think about blowing my head off, and then decide not to and go on with my life. Put it back in the drawer and open up the laptop and continue writing my autobiography or whatever. But it was just to see.’” – TMZ

The world’s of acting and martial arts have suffered a significant loss today.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 and is filed under Martial Arts, Recent Events, TV Shows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

xygoxen
  • The speculation around the circumstances of his death grows ever wilder. Check out my list of David Carradine conspiracy theories at my site.
  • That was the first thing I thought of. No matter what you thought of him as an actor or a martial artist, if you've heard him speak or read any of his books, he was pretty "open" to experimentation and also pretty "out there" in his thoughts in general, so maybe that, coupled with being found hanging naked, was why it was the first thing I thought of. Whatever the case, it is sad and a senseless loss.
  • Going by the news media, it would seem that his death is indeed down to sexual misadventure. On the surface anyway.
  • Great loss for another human being that with his work has helped the diffusion of martial arts to the general public.
  • That's even weirder...David Carradine dying from auto-asphyxiation in a wardrobe in a hotel in Bangkok at the age of 72...naked...who'd have thought it?
  • He wasn't a terribly good actor and as far as being a martial artist, back during the time when Kung Fu was current or recently over, he insisted that he was a dancer. It doesn't matter. He played Kwai Chang Caine, the Kung Fu was one of the things that got me interested in Asian things in general and martial arts, Daoism, and Zen in particular. That's enough for me. I'm saddened that he left us before his natural time.
  • David Carradine, Rest in Peace.

    It is not reported but the suicide rate among Western Males is quite high in Thailand. I have spent a few years in Bangkok and it was not unusual to hear about a death "under unusual circumstances". Not good press for a Tourist destination.

    I have lost friends to suicide. Try and get to know your good friends better. Try and be a better friend by have lots of time if a mate just needs to just hang out.

    Peace
  • I didn't know that statistic mike, that is interesting and definitely pertinent to this situation.
  • I was shocked to hear this as well. I am not sure but isn't there some weird sexual thing where guys hang themselves to the point that they almost black out and "service themselves" for lack of better term - but many times they wait too long and end up hanging themselves? I sure hope that wasn't it. I'd hate for his memory to have that as the last thing attached to it. Whatever the case, I absolutely LOVED him in both of the Kill Bill movies. He WAS Bill.
  • Yea MAM that's called auto erotic asphyxiation. I forget the number, but a surprising amount of guys die from it every year. I would be surprised if that was involved because normally that doesn't involve hanging from the neck from an elevated place (more like a belt straped too tightly around the throat).

    And before anyone makes the obvious 'how do you know all that' joke, just save it! haha.
  • This is indeed a sad loss to the acting and martial arts world. Unlike most actors, Carradine actually knew what he has talking about when it came to the martial arts. I read his book on kung fu and philosophy years ago and I remember being impressed by the depth of his knowledge and deep understanding of his subject and the martial arts in general. Up till then I had him pegged as purely an actor.

    I have to say it is a little weird committing suicide at the age of 72, especially in a hotel room in Bangkok. Suicide always baffles me anyway. You just never know what goes through people's heads.

    Still, a sad loss.
    R.I.P. David. Your work will live on.
  • Agreed U.Samurai. Suicide, especially at an older age and when accomplished and successful just doesn't add up. But like you said, suicide never makes sense to me either.
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