Actor David Carradine found dead

[josephga]

BANGKOK - Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room and was believed to have committed suicide.

 

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.

[JT Brooklyn]

The Man did lead a Fascinating Life! R.I.P. Mr. Carradine

[BgMstr4u]

From the NY Post, which has more actual news details than the NY Times, though the article is shorter, like, for example, the name of the hotel. Do any of the Thailand contingent here know of this hotel (the Swissotel Nai Lert Park), or have other insights?

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06042009/news/worldnews/kung_fu_star_david_carradine_has_died_172561.htm

 

______________________________________________________

'KUNG FU' STAR DAVID CARRADINE HAS DIED

 

By JEREMY OLSHAN

 

June 4, 2009 --

 

Actor David Carradine, who starred in the series "Kung Fu" and films such as "Kill Bill," was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room yesterday from an apparent suicide.

 

But Carradine's rep said he believes that the actor's death was accidental.

 

PHOTOS: David Carradine

 

MOVIE BLOG: David Carradine (1936-2009)

 

"We know David. He would never take his own life," said Chuck Binder, Carradine's manager.

 

"I talked to him last week and he was in good spirits," Binder said. "It's just shocking."

 

The officer responsible for investigating the death, Teerapop Luanseng, said the 72-year-old actor was staying at a suite at the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel.

 

"I can confirm that we found his body, naked, hanging in the closet," Teerapop said.

 

The BBC reported that the cord he was hanged with was also wrapped around other parts of his body.

 

Carradine was working on a film called "Stretch," in Bangkok, and had not reported to the set Wednesday.

 

The Nation, a Thai newspaper, reported that a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the room's curtains. It cited police as saying he had been dead at least 12 hours and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.

 

Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brother Keith.

 

In all, he appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby.

 

But he was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the "Kung Fu," which aired in 1972-75.

 

He reprised the role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine's grandson in the 1990s syndicated series "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues."

 

He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga "Kill Bill."

 

With Post wire services

[Guy Fawkes]

I once sat on his bed..

 

BANGKOK - Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090604/capt.82552bea8050428c831aeb19a39e75c1.obit_carradine_ny117.jpg?x=274&y=345&q=85&sig=xubgz1_TbhcV1SY1CyjpSA--

 

This is the David that I remember. I still remember vividly how I met him. One afternoon I got a phone call and when I answered it I heard:

 

"Hi I'm David Carradine"

 

"The David Carradine?" I replied, to which he said: "Yes".

 

"The Dave Carradine of Kung Fu Fame?" and he replied: "Yes"

 

"Why the hell are you calling me?" and which time he gave me the most delighted laughter that you could imagine. That was David, a fairly down to earth, humble type of guy.

 

He was calling me because he needed help with his Apple Lisa. It turned out that his secretary was a friend of mine and so the next day I showed up at his house in Tarzana.

 

I was taken into his bedroom and shown the Apple Lisa ensconced on a sideboard. I sat on his bed and announced: "Well, the problem is obvious! You need to move it into your office, if you're going to have any hope of using it!".

 

The look in their eyes was incredible, and we soon moved the system into the office and I started showing them the basics. I remember solitaire being the 1st major lesson (Remember the mouses were a really strange device to most people back then and that was one of the ways to learn the hand-eye coordination)

 

That started an on again, off again, sporadic relationship that have lasted several years.

 

David had his demons, but could also be a very caring person. Today is a very sad day for me, and like other of his friends, I don't believe that he would take his own life.

[Guest zipperzone]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090604/capt.82552bea8050428c831aeb19a39e75c1.obit_carradine_ny117.jpg?x=274&y=345&q=85&sig=xubgz1_TbhcV1SY1CyjpSA--

 

David had his demons, but could also be a very caring person. Today is a very sad day for me, and like other of his friends, I don't believe that he would take his own life.

 

A local Vancouver radio station was reporting today that the announcement about his death had be altered several times throughout the day.

 

The first one simply said that he had committed suicide. Then it was amended to say his death was an accidental hanging and that the cord around his neck was evidently also tied around his genitals. Then it was changed to say that the cord was also around another part of his body, with the specific of "genitals" omitted.

 

I forget the correct term for the activity he was engaged in - something like "auto something"- whereby you attempt to flatline and the cord around your genitals occasions you to have a climax. I'm sure some of our members know the term I'm referring to.

 

So sad that merely trying to get himself off could have such tragic results.

[+ glutes]

erotic auto asphyxiation

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoerotic_asphyxiation

 

I will be accused of being a 'basher' again, but something doesn't pass the smell test.

I don't think he'd take his own life, RIP David...

[Luv2play]

I agree. And as for Zip's theory, I find it hard to believe that a man in Bangkok wanting a little kinky sex would have to "do it himself"!

[Guest zipperzone]

I agree. And as for Zip's theory, I find it hard to believe that a man in Bangkok wanting a little kinky sex would have to "do it himself"!

 

You may well find it hard to believe, but why did the original press release state the other end of the rope was tied around his genitals? Maybe he enjoyed it that way. And by the way, it's not my "theory" - I was merely repeating what was reported and discussed in detail on AM radio station CFUN - 1410 Vancouver on the program called "The buzz of the City".

[MsGuy]

Many years ago a close friend of one of my brothers died under similar circumstances. The police, coroner and those of his friends who knew the truth all let his mother think it was a suicide. They intended the lie as a kindness and over the years I've come to believe they were right to lie.

[TruthBTold]

Ambivalent

 

I am ambivalent regarding whether lying about how someone died is ever good. I am not sure having a mother believe that her son was so unhappy that he took his own life is better than having her believe it was just an accident, albeit a sexual accident. Not everyone is hung up on sex. She might not have been all that disturbed about the sexual aspect and may have been more disturbed that he died because of "demons."

[MsGuy]

TBT, that was the the problem I had with their decision. I also wondered if the sheer awkwardness of trying to explain erotic auto-asphyxiation to his Mom played some part. Not exactly the best time to confront one of the odder nooks of auto-erotics. In the end she seems to have handled her son's death by suicide o.k. so who am I to say his friends made the wrong decision.

[Steven_Draker]

Hollywood Boulevard "Walk of fame"

 

While walking today on Hollywood boulevard, I noticed that there are flowers and candles next to his star. RIP

 

http://www.atriptothemovies.com/clientuploads/_photos/_1/_98_thumb.jpg