David Carradine was born in Hollywood, California, the eldest son of legendary character actor John Carradine and his wife, Ardanelle Abigail (McCool). He was part of an acting family that included brothers Keith Carradine and Robert Carradine, as well as his daughters Calista Carradine and Kansas Carradine, and nieces Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.
Born in Hollywood, Carradine was educated at San Francisco State College, where he studied music theory and composition. It was during his time at the college that he discovered his passion for the stage, joining a Shakespearean repertory company and learning his craft on his feet. After a two-year stint in the army, he found work in New York as a commercial artist and later found fame on Broadway in "The Deputy" and "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" opposite Christopher Plummer.
With his Broadway experience, Carradine returned to Hollywood, landing the lead in the short-lived TV series "Shane" (1966) before being tapped to star opposite Barbara Hershey in Martin Scorsese's first Hollywood film, "Boxcar Bertha" (1972). The iconic "Kung Fu" (1972) followed, catapulting Carradine to super-stardom for the next three years, until he left the series to pursue his film career.
Throughout his career, Carradine appeared in more than 100 feature films, a couple of dozen television movies, a range of theater on and off Broadway, and another hit series, "Kung Fu: A Legend Reborn" (1992). He received the Best Actor Award from the National Board of Film Review, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Woody Guthrie in "Bound for Glory" (1976),and won critical acclaim for his work as Cole Younger in "The Long Riders" (1980).
Carradine also won critical acclaim for his work in "Americana" (1981),which earned him the People's Prize at the Cannes Film Festival's "Director's Fortnight," and received a second Golden Globe nomination for his supporting role in "North & South: Book 1, North & South" (1985). Among his other notable film credits were "Gray Lady Down" (1978),"Mean Streets" (1973),"Bird on a Wire" (1990),"The Long Goodbye" (1973),"The Serpent's Egg" (1977),and "Circle of Iron" (1978).
In addition to his acting career, Carradine was also a devoted musician, recording over 60 tracks in various musical genres and singing in several movies. He made his home in Los Angeles with his fifth wife Annie, her four children, and their two dogs.
Tragically, Carradine was found dead in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 3, 2009, at the age of 72.
