David Carradine, veteran actor and the go-to guy when a villainous kung fu master is needed, was found dead in his Bangkok, Thailand hotel room early this morning.
Michael Turner, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, confirmed Carradine’s death to the media. The cause of death is still under investigation though unconfirmed reports from Bangkok’s The Nation newspaper suggest the actor was found hanged and possibly committed suicide.
Carradine gained famed in the 1970s from a starring role on TV’s “Kung Fu” as Kwai Chang Caine. Though he has played parts in countless films and shows, modern audiences will best remember him as Uma Thurman’s nemesis in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill.
I was at a show here in Phoenix, Arizona about three years ago and Carradine was in the audience a few rows up for me. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now wish I went and shook his hand. The actor, the villain and the legend will be missed.
