David Carradine
Birthday: 8 December 1936, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name: John Arthur Carradine
Height: 183 cm
David Carradine was born in Hollywood, California, the eldest son of legendary character actor John Carradine, and his wife, Ardanelle Abigail (McCool). He presided over an acting family that included ...Show More
[In 2004, on his suicidal thoughts] I remember one time sitting at the window of the third or fourth Show more
[In 2004, on his suicidal thoughts] I remember one time sitting at the window of the third or fourth floor of the Plaza Hotel for about an hour, thinking about just tipping off. Hide
[In 1993] There is something, dare I say, very Christ-like here: reaching out to lepers, the downtro Show more
[In 1993] There is something, dare I say, very Christ-like here: reaching out to lepers, the downtrodden, the profligates. That was one reason I wanted to play someone like that. Whether or not that's the kind of guy I am, to be able to portray someone who has this sort of holy quality to him was very appealing. Hide
[Before he played Kwai Chang Caine on Kung Fu (1972)] I wasn't like a TV star in those days, I was l Show more
[Before he played Kwai Chang Caine on Kung Fu (1972)] I wasn't like a TV star in those days, I was like a rock 'n' roll star. It was a phenomenon kind of thing... It was very special. Hide
[In 1992, on trying to break into Hollywood without relying on his father, (John Carradine)] It took Show more
[In 1992, on trying to break into Hollywood without relying on his father, (John Carradine)] It took me a long time to realize that he was having a hard time getting jobs himself. But I'm not sure he would have [helped] anyway--you were supposed to make it on your own. Hide
[Alluding to his character's philosophy expressed on Kung Fu (1972)] The quest is never attainable: Show more
[Alluding to his character's philosophy expressed on Kung Fu (1972)] The quest is never attainable: You cannot expect to achieve the goal. It's the journey that's the point of it all. Again, in the modern series, Caine is asked where he's going, and he says, "Nowhere in particular." But the person insists, "Everyone has a destination." Caine says, "A destiny - yes. But not, necessarily, a destination." [That] implies some place to stop when you get there, while your destiny is a journey that continues. Hide
If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
[on whether he or his father, John Carradine, made the most films] I've read... that my father was t Show more
[on whether he or his father, John Carradine, made the most films] I've read... that my father was the most indiscriminate actor in the history of movies. And I'm close to that. Hide
[In 2004, on starring in so many low-budget films] All I've ever needed since I more or less retired Show more
[In 2004, on starring in so many low-budget films] All I've ever needed since I more or less retired from studio films a couple of decades ago... is just to be in one. There isn't anything that Anthony Hopkins or Clint Eastwood or Sean Connery or any of those old guys are doing that I couldn't do. All that was ever required was somebody with Quentin's {Quentin Tarantino] courage to take and put me in the spotlight. Hide
[on his drug/alcohol abuse] There was only a period of a few years when I was drinking too much. I h Show more
[on his drug/alcohol abuse] There was only a period of a few years when I was drinking too much. I had a friend who was a mentor, and he suddenly said, "I've never seen you abuse a substance before." I said, "Am I doing that now?". And I was. That was spring of 1996. I like to think that I stopped drinking on St. Patrick's Day, but it was actually a month later. Hide
[on playing Bill in the "Kill Bill" films] It's got to be done a certain way. You can see these pose Show more
[on playing Bill in the "Kill Bill" films] It's got to be done a certain way. You can see these poses. Hide
[on Chuck Norris]: How deep can you get into aikido? Aikido's aikido. Chuck Norris, as you know, has Show more
[on Chuck Norris]: How deep can you get into aikido? Aikido's aikido. Chuck Norris, as you know, has a very heavy competitive background. He's originally trained in Tang Soo Do, then what he did was competition karate. Chuck is very fast and very precise. I think he's really good. But I don't think that the whole thing that is kung fu is even touched on by any of these guys. I just think all they're into is what they know about fighting and their movie mystiques. I don't think these guys know anything about the history, the philosophy, the inner truth you're supposed to be searching for. The stuff that we try to do in Kung Fu, which we did in the old series. That's why I decided to do it again. It just seemed like nobody's got the assets. They all thought it was a question of kicking and punching. Hide
[on his lengthy acting career] It's always seemed to me like a mission. A holy one, like the Blues B Show more
[on his lengthy acting career] It's always seemed to me like a mission. A holy one, like the Blues Brothers. It's a marathon. You can't quit; even coming in dead last has honor. Quitting doesn't. Look, I had absolute faith in my future when I was starving in New York and no one believed in me besides me and my girlfriend. I'd be stupid to lose that faith after I've become a fucking icon. Oh, yes. And I love the work. Hide
[on his popularity while playing the 50-something Kwai Chang Caine on Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Show more
[on his popularity while playing the 50-something Kwai Chang Caine on Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1993)] It's a mission. I've been working putting this thing together for--what is it? Could it be?--14 years. Hide
[In 2009] One foot, in front of the other, things happened, as I try to make them happen, so it wasn Show more
[In 2009] One foot, in front of the other, things happened, as I try to make them happen, so it wasn't exactly, no real surprises. Hide
[on when he realized Kung Fu (1972) was going to be a hit] Man, I read that pilot script and flipped Show more
[on when he realized Kung Fu (1972) was going to be a hit] Man, I read that pilot script and flipped! But I never believed it would get on TV. I mean, a Chinese Western, about a half-Chinese / half-American Buddhist monk who anders the gold rush country but doesn't care about gold, and defends the oppressed but won't carry a gun, and won't even step on an ant because he values all life, and hardly ever speaks? No way! Hide
[on his 1986 marriage to Gail Jensen, who met him on The Long Riders (1980)] It works. We feel like Show more
[on his 1986 marriage to Gail Jensen, who met him on The Long Riders (1980)] It works. We feel like we've known each other for a thousand years. Something will happen, and we'll say, "Yeah, you did that to me 800 years ago.". Hide
[In 1997] I don't have that much to say. I'm glad some people showed up. You know it's April 1, and Show more
[In 1997] I don't have that much to say. I'm glad some people showed up. You know it's April 1, and I still thought people would think it was a joke. Hide
Every day, at least six people will come up to me and say, "Your show [Kung Fu (1972)] changed my li Show more
Every day, at least six people will come up to me and say, "Your show [Kung Fu (1972)] changed my life.". Hide
There's an alternative. There's always a third way, and it's not a combination of the other two ways Show more
There's an alternative. There's always a third way, and it's not a combination of the other two ways. It's a different way. Hide
It's not even a matter of physical fitness, it's a matter of mind, body, unity and achieving a littl Show more
It's not even a matter of physical fitness, it's a matter of mind, body, unity and achieving a little tiny bit of spirituality, in your life. Hide
[on his late friend and one-time co-star, Brandon Lee] He was always giving 110%, and it produced a Show more
[on his late friend and one-time co-star, Brandon Lee] He was always giving 110%, and it produced a light in the eyes, which is what you look for in movies. Hide
I like to work, and you can only do what you're offered. If I'm offered something great, I'm going t Show more
I like to work, and you can only do what you're offered. If I'm offered something great, I'm going to accept it, for sure. If I'm not offered something great, I'm going to do something not so great. There is a bottom line. I've never done an actual horror movie, or a porno. If it's something odious, I'm going to turn it down. There have been times when I've been desperate for money, hopelessly in debt, with the IRS on me and an ex-wife suing me. And I've been offered a lot of money to do something about a scientist who gets eaten by this giant spider he creates, and I say to myself, "I just can't do this", And I don't. I feel that rejecting that sort of thing is always leading toward the light. Hide
[on his passion for auto racing] There's no bullshit about it. It's real, you can't fake it, people Show more
[on his passion for auto racing] There's no bullshit about it. It's real, you can't fake it, people actually die. Hide
[In 1991, on his signature role] What we did on Kung Fu (1972), stressing the philosophy and the des Show more
[In 1991, on his signature role] What we did on Kung Fu (1972), stressing the philosophy and the desire for peace and the training, is something that has actually never been seen since then. Hide
[In 1977] Acting was the last thing I thought of because it didn't seem like you did anything.
[In 1977] Acting was the last thing I thought of because it didn't seem like you did anything.
With my tendencies as an anarchist and a revolutionary, this is the kind of place I would have wante Show more
With my tendencies as an anarchist and a revolutionary, this is the kind of place I would have wanted to blow up with a bomb in a paper bag. But I've reached a point now where I can see the limitations of Fidel Castro as easily as I can see the limitations of a Rockefeller. I don't want to be either of those guys. Hide
[In 2008] Whenever I do an exhibit, I always specify. If you want to buy something, a great piece of Show more
[In 2008] Whenever I do an exhibit, I always specify. If you want to buy something, a great piece of it is going to go for Food for Africa. That's the way I do it and I'll always do it. Hide
[In 1992] I had a house in the Hollywood Hills that virtually every brother has lived in. It was lik Show more
[In 1992] I had a house in the Hollywood Hills that virtually every brother has lived in. It was like this safe harbor. We all took care of each other. Hide
I'm perhaps the most gifted actor of my generation.
I'm perhaps the most gifted actor of my generation.
David Carradine's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (253)
David Carradine'S roles
Eugene Sorenson
Junichiro
The Master
The Deuce
Kwai Chang Caine
Nava the Wolf Shaman
Rawley Wilkes
The Blind Man
Gideon Fisk
Frankenstein
Show More
