He Had A Dark Side
Everyone remembers David Carradine as the martial arts master from TV’s Kung Fu or Tarantino’s Kill Bill. But few realize just how tireless he was, one of Hollywood’s most prolific performers, even earning an award for his dedication. And yet, behind the steady stream of roles and fame lurked something far darker. Carradine’s private life was filled with disturbing secrets—and those demons would one day catch up to him.
1. His Family Was Famous
When David Carradine was born in Los Angeles on December 8, 1936 his father was one of America’s most iconic character actors. John Carradine was famous for many things including playing Dracula in four feature films. David’s mother, however was keeping a harrowing secret from the rest of her family.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
2. The Truth Came Out
Carradine’s father wanted to have a large family, and it just didn’t seem to be working out. But what the family didn't know was that Carridine’s mother was terminating pregnancies behind everyone’s back. When it finally came to light, the family faced a heartbreaking fact: due to her terminations, Mom could no longer have children.
Then Carradine came face-to-face with another shocking truth.
Gerrits, Roland / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
3. He Tried To End It
When he was just five, Carradine discovered that he and his brother Bruce had different fathers. This news sent Carradine into such a fit of depression that he tried to harm himself. Dad discovered his son and saved his life, but his punishment didn’t quite fit. Dad cruelly burned his son’s comic book collection.
But John Carradine had one more punishment left.
4. His Dad Left
Once his parents had divorced, Carradine’s dad went AWOL. He didn’t want to hang around California for the alimony settlement, so he left town. There were prolonged custody battles, and John Carradine even ended up in the slammer over his attempts to shirk his responsibility's. After all this heartache, you’d think that Carradine would never want to see his father again.
Well, think again.
5. He Tracked Him Down
Several years later, Carradine’s father resurfaced in New York City with a new wife. Carradine tracked him down and decided to join him and his new family. One of the first things Dad did was get his son his first acting gig. He appeared in a live version of A Christmas Carol, where Dad played Ebenezer Scrooge.
Sadly, this was no “happily ever after” moment.
6. He Bounced Around
Things weren't all that cozy with the Carradines, so David ended up spending his time in three different types of places. He bounced around between boarding schools, foster homes, and reform schools. Even so, he eventually got his act together, moved back to California, graduated from high school, and started college.
But the US government was about to put a stop to any future plans Carradine had in mind.
7. He Tried To Avoid It
While living in California, Carradine became part of the peace-loving beatnik movement. So, when the US government wanted him to sign up for military duty, Carradine tried to get out of it. In the end, he couldn't. But he did end up with the cushy job of drawing illustrations for training manuals.
He also found time for romance.
8. He Married His Childhood Sweetheart
While in the army, Carradine walked down the aisle with his childhood sweetheart, Donna Lee Becht. By the time he got his honorable discharge from the army, Carradine had faced a court-martial for shoplifting and was now a father to little Calista. He was also ready to take his career as an actor seriously.
Gerrits, Roland / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
9. He Started On TV
In the early 1960s, Carradine worked on various TV shows, and Universal Pictures took note. They offered him a contract and put him in the feature Western film Taggart. But his real break came not in a film but on Broadway. In The Royal Hunt of the Sun, he got to play opposite The Sound of Music star Christopher Plummer. This play was a huge hit.
Unfortunately, it went straight to Carradine’s head.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
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10. He Knew He Was Good
Carradine knew he was good in The Royal Hunt of the Sun. He later said that he got a lot of roles because people who hired him had seen his incredible performance in that play. Well, being arrogant often leads to a serious dose of humility. When they made a film of the play, another actor bumped Carradine right out of the picture.
And with that, it was back to TV for Carradine.
11. He Dated Barbara Hershey
After his stellar appearance on Broadway, Carradine continued to play in Westerns both on TV and in the movies. In 1968, he got a divorce from his wife and started dating actor Barbara Hershey who he met while making Heaven with a Gun. When Hershey got a chance to star in a new movie, Carradine also got a supporting role.
It was just a low-budget exploitation film, but there was one thing completely stood out.
12. He Worked With A Future Superstar
In 1972, Carradine and his girlfriend Hershey were making a low-budget period film similar to 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde. The film was Boxcar Bertha, and the director was none other than up-and-coming powerhouse Martin Scorsese. The film received mixed reviews but got more notice for its gratuitousness.
Well, some of that “gratuitousness” was about to hit the newsstands.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
13. He Took It All Off
If the vision of Carradine and Hershey getting frisky in Boxcar Bertha wasn’t enough, they recreated the scenes for a photographer. These pics ended up between the covers of Playboy magazine, and neither Carradine nor Hershey had any clothes on. This was the same year that Carradine and Hersey had a son they named Free.
Though a bit risque, Carradine was still now a family man, and set out to find a steady source of income. But, of course, things proved more complicated than he hoped.
14. He Made A Pilot
Before making Boxcar Bertha, Carradine had made a TV pilot. This was another Western, but it had a twist. Carradine’s role was of a half-American half-Chinese Shaolin monk who wanders around the 19th-century wild west using martial arts to help people he meets along his way. This out-there premise was about to define Carradine’s career.
But getting the role proved no walk in the park.
picture alliance, Getty Images
15. He Took Someone's Spot
Before Carradine got to make the pilot for Kung Fu, the studio had considered other actors. One obvious choice was action film star Bruce Lee. After all, Lee had all that martial arts training and, most importantly, he was actually Asian. To Lee’s dismay, they decided on Carradine because they thought that American TV viewers didn’t want to watch a series with an Asian man as the lead actor.
As you might imagine, the Asian acting community was not okay with Carradine in the leading role of Kung Fu.
ABC TelevisionUploaded ,Wikimedia Commons
16. They Didn’t Want Him
George Takei, of Star Trek fame, was one other actor that the producers had considered for Carradine’s role of Kwai Chang Caine in Kung Fu. He, along with the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists (AAPAA), made a formal complaint against the show. This battle could put a negative spin on Carradine’s chance of success in this much-anticipated show.
But then everything changed.
Super Festivals, Wikimedia Commons
17. They Were Stuck With Him
Members of the Asian acting community figured they weren't going to get Carradine off the show, so they looked at the silver lining. Even with Carradine playing the half-Asian character, there would still be lots of supporting roles for Asian actors if the show had a long run.
Now, Carradine just had to prove that he could actually live up to the hype.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
18. He Had Good Makeup
Of course, we’ll never know what reception Kung Fu would have received without Carradine. We do know that with him, the critical response was very, very positive. Over the years, the series won three Primetime Emmys. One of the awards seems to be a direct response to the hiring controversy. It was an Emmy for best makeup.
So, all controversy aside, Carradine was sitting pretty in a successful series. Then he went for a walk that almost messed it all up.
19. He Took A Strange Walk
In 1974, while Kung Fu was still ruling the airwaves, Carradine got into trouble with the law. He took peyote and decided to go for a walk without a stitch of clothes on. While this may sound comical, it took a dark turn. Carradine broke into a neighbor’s house, where he encountered two young women.
His behavior wasn't just bizarre, it was dangerous.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
20. He Had To Pay Up
The story goes that a delusional Carradine asked one of the women if she was a witch, and then there was a physical altercation. Officers eventually took him in, and he pleaded “no contest”. The young woman sued Carradine for just over a million dollars. In the end, she only received $20,000.
After that debacle, one thing was clear: Carradine might have escaped serious judgment, but a serious change was necessary.
unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
21. He Got Restless
By the third season of Kung Fu, David Carradine was getting restless. Also, the show had changed in writing and shooting style. Carradine was also feeling burned out playing the same role over and over again. But there was something more. Carradine wanted to be a movie star, not a TV star. So after three seasons, Carradine walked away from Kung Fu.
He had to show the world that he was more than his character on TV.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
22. He Did Something Completely Different
To sever the connection moviegoers may have had between David Carradine and his Kung Fu character, Carradine did a complete 180. He took a role in Death Race 2000. This satirical film involves a futuristic car race, where fatally hitting pedestrians is the object of the game. You couldn’t get further away from Carradine’s character in Kung Fu.
Even though Carradine was a pretty big star, this film had an embarrassingly low budget.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
23. He Didn’t Care About Danger
The budget for this film was so low that they had to shoot a lot on public streets. The thing was, the cars that they made for the film were not legal on these streets. Because of this, stunt drivers refused to get in the cars, so Carradine—and co-star Sylvester Stallone—had to do the stunts themselves.
But there was one thing that Carradine refused to do on this film.
New World Pictures, Death Race 2000 (1975)
24. He Loved Animals
Carradine's character went by the name Frankenstein, and he wore an amazing outfit made completely of black leather. Or so you may believe. Carradine was an animal lover, and he refused to wear anything made of animal products. The costume designer had to madly come up with another fabric that looked just like leather.
This was Carradine's first post-Kung Fu movie, so the stakes were very high. It had to be a hit.
25. He Raked It In
While reviewers weren't quite sure what to make of the senseless violence in Death Race 2000, audiences loved it. And this was especially important to David Carradine. He had it in his contract that he would get 10% of the profits. Years later, when it became a cult classic, Carradine would continue to reap the benefits.
Carradine had certainly shed his association with Kung Fu, but now there was a danger he’d found himself in a completely different rut.
26. He Got Back Behind The Wheel
After Death Race 2000, Carradine did another car chase movie with the same director, Cannonball! Like his previous film with Paul Bartel, this was about a prohibited car race. But this time the race was a real—and outlawed—car race across North America.
Sounds like fun, and it did fairly well. But if Carradine wanted to be a serious actor, it was time to get out of the car and show what he could do in a drama.
27. He Got Serious
David Carradine got serious in Bound for Glory, which was a film loosely based on the life of folk singer Woody Guthrie. Carradine’s performance grabbed attention, and he got two nominations: one from the Golden Globes and one from the New York Film Critics Circle awards. He didn't win either of these, but did land one from the National Board of Review Awards.
With that kind of praise, Carradine could really go to great places. Unfortunately, that's not how the story went.
Bound for Glory, Bound for Glory (1976)
28. He Went In Reverse
Instead of capitalizing on his award-winning dramatic role, David Carradine got back behind the wheel for another car chase movie. This was Thunder and Lightning with Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson. This film’s sole purpose seemed to be to try to cash in on an earlier film called Thunderbolt and Lightfoot with Clint Eastwood. Carradine's film was popular but didn’t do much for his career.
Then a really stunning offer came through.
29. He Went Swedish
At this time, there wasn’t a more cerebral director than Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. Bergman only made one Hollywood film, and he wanted Carradine to be in it. The film was The Serpent's Egg, and the story is so depressing that it might have made Carradine long for the easy roles where all he had to do was drive a fast car.
But Carradine and Bergman got on well, until one event drove them apart.
Sunset Boulevard, Getty Images
30. He Had To Complain
In The Serpent’s Egg, Bergman had a scene where one character butchers a horse. The animal-loving David Carradine had a problem with the scene. To please Carradine, Bergman had the horse offed off-screen, but he told Carradine the truth about himself. He confessed his sins: he had burned a horse, shot two others and choked a dog till it passed.
Horrified, Carradine never worked with Bergman again and went back to what he knew best.
31. He Wanted To Replace Him
Carradine was back making action movies and car chase films, and then some news hit the media: Bruce Lee had passed. Remember, Lee was the martial arts fighter that Carradine had beaten out for the role in Kung Fu. Since then, Carradine had learned a lot of martial arts, and he heard that Lee had an intriguing film project in the wings when he passed...
Silver Screen Collection, Getty images
32. He Got Hurt
Sadly, the film, Circle of Iron did poorly, and one of the problems was the martial arts scenes. If David Carradine thought he could replace the remarkable Lee, he’d been mistaken. To add insult to injury, while making this film Carradine suffered two broken noses, a gouged toe and a hurt knee.
In his next film, he’d get into even more trouble.
33. He Was In Possession
In 1981, Carradine headed down to South Africa to make the poorly received Safari 3000. While there, authorities took Carradine in for allegedly having marijuana on him. Carradine was adamant that he was innocent, and he blamed the apartheid government for setting him up. He said it was because they’d seen him dance with Black singer, Tina Turner.
Another problem Carradine ran into was, interestingly enough, behind the wheel of a car.
34. He Got Severely Punished
Sadly, David Carradine was not careful to avoid driving when under the influence. Officers caught him twice in the 1980s. For the second offense, authorities decided to throw the book at him. His punishment included 48 hours in prison, a month of picking up trash, and attending a rehab program.
Next, Carradine tried to prove he was more than just another messed-up Hollywood actor.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty images
35. He Was A Triple Threat
Way back in 1969, David Carradine had heard a “bedtime story” about a man trying to rebuild a carousel. This story moved Carradine, and over the years, he attempted to make a movie out of it. Carradine decided he would be the producer, director and star of Americana. He also supplied most of the money. In 1981, the film was finally ready for release.
If this film flopped, he’d have no one to blame but himself.
36. He Got Crushed
Americana won the People’s Choice award at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, and then it came to America. There, the response was crushing. One critic called the film "twaddle", another said it was “pointless”. Carradine read the reviewers’ opinions and vomited. It was ten years of his life, and these reviews devastated him.
It was time to return to something he knew would be successful.
37. He Went Back
In 1986, David Carradine went back to Kung Fu. This was the made-for-TV film Kung Fu: The Movie. Carradine still hadn’t forgotten Bruce Lee, and they hired Lee’s son, Brandon Lee, to star as Carradine’s son. This successful film spawned a franchise of Kung Fu movies.
But Carradine’s career was still in serious trouble.
Warner Bros. Television, Kung Fu: The Movie (1985)
38. He Worked Hard
After returning to his role as Caine in Kung Fu-related films, Carradine’s career began to decline. What followed was a slew of straight-to-video action films. He made an astonishing 19 movies in 18 months. Funny enough, he did receive an award for his hard work. It was the “Most Working Actor in the Universe” from Psychotronic Magazine.
With that "award" Carradine’s career seemed to be in free fall, but there was still an angel waiting to save him.
39. He Wasn’t The First Choice
Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino wanted to make a martial arts film and offered a role to superstar Warren Beatty. Kill Bill wasn't exactly Beatty’s cup of tea, but he did have a recommendation for Tarantino. He suggested David Carradine. This recommendation was something that Carradine desperately needed.
His future depended on it.
40. He Got A Second Chance
David Carradine said that when Tarantino came to him with the offer to play Bill in Kill Bill he was not only unemployed, but also collecting a monthly welfare check. Tarantino had already resurrected John Travolta’s career with Pulp Fiction. Carradine must have been hoping that same would happen with his.
Toni Anne Barson Archive, Getty images
41. He Was A Hit
Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2—released just six months apart—were huge successes. Carradine received nominations from the Golden Globes, the Satellite Awards and the Saturn Awards. While he only won the latter, his reputation as an actor was starting to return to its former glory.
Now, it was time for him to reap the rewards.
42. Nothing Changed
Somehow, his success with Tarantino's film didn’t lead to further success in his career. Carradine went right back to making rather forgettable features, a lot of them direct-to-DVD. In 2006, Carradine became a spokesperson for the Yellowbook Yellow pages. Carradine’s career had definitely hit a new low. And his personal life was going to join it.
43. He Mocked Her in Public
When Carradine was busy getting a divorce from his fourth wife—Marina Anderson—the proceedings suddenly turned nasty. David Carradine publicly made fun of his wife’s acting career and then denied that she had helped him get the role in Kill Bill. This made Anderson see red, and she was ready with some accusations of her own.
Ron Galella, Ltd, Getty images
44. He Had Some Bizarre Behavior
Anderson was good and angry, and she let it rip with some startling accusations. Anderson disclosed some of Carradine’s bizarre and—sometimes even life-threatening—antics in the bedroom. Then, she went a step further. She said that Carradine had been in a taboo relationship with one of his close family members. Carradine denied the allegation through his lawyer.
But it was only a matter of time before some of her accusations would turn out to be true.
45. He Was A Young Soul
David Carradine had five wives in his lifetime. His last wife, Annie Bierman, was 24 years younger than he was. When one of his daughters asked the inevitable question about why he hadn’t gone for women his own age, Carradine gave this philosophical answer: “Most of the women my age are a lot older than me!”.
Carradine did seem to defy aging, but soon his wild lifestyle would catch up with him.
Christian Alminana, Getty images
46. He Went To Thailand
Even though Tarantino's film didn’t elevate Carradine’s career, he continued to work as hard as before. In 2009, he got a role in Stretch, which was filming in France and Thailand. Nothing unusual happened in Bangkok until three days before the end of the filming. Carradine had a plan to share a meal with the crew. When he didn’t show up, people began to worry.
47. They Found Him In the Closet
When they searched Carradine’s Bangkok hotel room, they made a horrifying discovery. Carradine's lifeless body was found in the closet of his room. The first thing the authorities noticed was that he wasn't wearing any clothes. Then they saw a curtain cord around his neck. It looked like Carradine had taken his own life.
Or maybe he hadn’t.
Andrew H. Walker, Getty images
48. It Was An Accident
David Carradine had not left a note to say why he had taken his own life. So, Carradine’s family suspected foul play. They hired their own medical examiner to look at Carradine’s body. The examiner said that the cause of Carradine’s demise was asphyxiation and, perhaps more importantly, it was accidental.
So what the heck happened?
49. He Was Seeking Pleasure
There is a rare practice amongst extreme pleasure seekers that involves purposefully restricting the flow of oxygen to the brain. Practitioners do this for the pleasure it can create. Many believe that Carradine passed while performing this ritual. It seemed like it was a closed case.
And then more information came out.
Jean Baptiste Lacroix, Getty images
50. It’s Still A Mystery
In 2010, Carradine’s fourth wife—Marina Anderson—claimed that there was no way Carradine was alone when he passed in that Bangkok hotel room closet. She knew her ex-husband well and said he never “flew solo” when engaging in this dangerous and bizarre acts. Anderson is sure someone had been with him.
Strangely, authorities have never found this mystery person that may—or may not—have caused Carradine’s demise.
Arthur Dark, Wikimedia Commons
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Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
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