History of David Carradine in Timeline
David Carradine was a prolific American actor, director, and producer with a career spanning over 200 roles across film, television, and stage. He gained widespread recognition for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk, in the television series *Kung Fu* (1972-1975). Carradine's diverse career established him as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.
2 hours ago : David Carradine's death and legacy explored in a new podcast, sparking renewed interest.
A new podcast revisits the mysteries surrounding David Carradine's death, exploring his legacy and the unusual circumstances of his passing, prompting new questions about closure and memory.
December 8, 1936: David Carradine's Birth
On December 8, 1936, John Arthur Carradine Jr., later known as David Carradine, was born. Carradine became a renowned American actor, director, and producer.
1944: Divorce of Carradine's Parents
In 1944, when Carradine was seven, his parents divorced after being married for three years initially, and then remaining married for another five years after his mother first filed for divorce.
December 25, 1947: Appeared in A Christmas Carol
On December 25, 1947, David Carradine appeared in a live telecast adaptation of A Christmas Carol, with his father in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
1949: Shane Novel
In 1949, the novel Shane was published, which later inspired the 1966 television series of the same name starring David Carradine.
1960: Annie Bierman's birth year
In 1960, Annie Bierman (later Carradine's wife) was born. David Carradine mentioned in an interview that his wife Annie is 24 years younger than he is.
1960: Carradine Inducted into the Army
In 1960, David Carradine was inducted into the United States Army, where he drew pictures for training aids. He also married Donna Lee Becht that Christmas.
1962: Birth of Carradine's Daughter
In 1962, David Carradine and his wife, Donna, welcomed their daughter, Calista.
1963: Television Debut
In 1963, David Carradine made his television debut on an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre, called Secret Document X256.
May 1964: Joined The Deputy on Broadway
In May 1964, David Carradine joined the cast of the Broadway play The Deputy, replacing Jeremy Brett.
1964: Film Debut
In 1964, David Carradine got a contract with Universal and made his feature film debut in Taggart, a Western based on a Louis L'Amour novel.
October 1965: Premiere of 'The Royal Hunt of the Sun'
In October 1965, the play 'The Royal Hunt of the Sun', starring David Carradine as Atahuallpa, premiered and became a hit.
1965: Broadway Debut in 'The Royal Hunt of the Sun'
In 1965, David Carradine had his breakthrough role playing Atahuallpa in the Broadway production of 'The Royal Hunt of the Sun'.
May 1966: Carradine stars in Shane
In May 1966, David Carradine left Royal Hunt of the Sun to star in the TV series Shane, a Western based on the 1949 novel of the same name.
1967: Carradine in Johnny Belinda
In 1967, David Carradine was cast in Johnny Belinda, which he credited with rescuing his career.
1967: Arrest for marijuana possession
In 1967, after becoming an established actor under the name David Carradine, he was arrested for possession of marijuana.
1967: Too Many Thieves released
In 1967, episodes of The Trials of O'Brien starring David Carradine were cut together and released theatrically as Too Many Thieves.
1968: Relationship with Barbara Hershey begins
In 1968, David Carradine met actress Barbara Hershey while working on Heaven with a Gun. The pair lived together until 1975.
1968: Divorce from Donna Lee Becht
In 1968, David Carradine's marriage to Donna Lee Becht dissolved. Following the divorce, Carradine left New York and returned to California to pursue his television and film career.
1968: The Royal Hunt of the Sun filmed
In 1968, The Royal Hunt of the Sun play was filmed, with Christopher Plummer taking the part originally played by David Carradine.
1969: Carradine in Westerns
In 1969, David Carradine appeared in the Westerns Heaven with a Gun, Young Billy Young and The Good Guys and the Bad Guys.
1970: Carradine in Westerns
In 1970, David Carradine appeared in the Westerns The McMasters and Macho Callahan.
1970: Appearance on Ironside
In 1970, David Carradine appeared in the season 4 Ironside episode, "The Quincunx", where he played one half of a flower power beatnik duo and performed the songs "I Stepped on a Flower", "Lonesome Stranger", and "Sorrow of the Singing Tree".
1972: Nude Playboy spread with Barbara Hershey
In 1972, David Carradine and Barbara Hershey appeared together in a nude Playboy spread, recreating sex scenes from Boxcar Bertha. Hershey gave birth to their son that year.
1972: Carradine in Boxcar Bertha
In 1972, David Carradine appeared as Big Bill Shelly in Martin Scorsese's film Boxcar Bertha.
1972: Kung Fu Premieres
In 1972, David Carradine began starring as Kwai Chang Caine in the ABC TV series Kung Fu. The role led to Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations.
1972: Carradine stars in Kung Fu
In 1972, David Carradine gained widespread recognition for his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the television series Kung Fu, portraying a Shaolin monk in the American Old West.
1973: Bruce Lee's Death
In 1973, Bruce Lee died, leaving behind an unreleased script called The Silent Flute, which later became the film Circle of Iron where Carradine played the four roles originally intended for Lee.
1973: Writing of "Paint" for Sonny Boy theme
In 1973, while filming Americana, David Carradine wrote the first line of the Sonny Boy theme, "Paint," which is now engraved on his headstone.
1974: Affair with Season Hubley and burglary arrest
Around 1974, David Carradine's relationship with Barbara Hershey fell apart after his burglary arrest and his affair with Season Hubley, who had guest-starred on Kung Fu.
1974: Peyote-Related Incident
In 1974, David Carradine was involved in a peyote-related incident, which negatively affected the ratings of Kung Fu.
1974: Arrest for attempted burglary and malicious mischief
In 1974, at the height of his popularity from Kung Fu, David Carradine was arrested for attempted burglary and malicious mischief after wandering nude around his Laurel Canyon neighborhood under the influence of peyote. He broke into a neighbor's home, and accosted two young women. He pleaded no contest to the mischief charge and was given probation.
1975: Carradine in Death Race 2000
In 1975, David Carradine accepted the role of Frankenstein in Death Race 2000 to distance himself from the Kwai Chang Caine image.
1975: Release of album Grasshopper
In 1975, David Carradine released an album titled Grasshopper.
1975: You and Me Release
In 1975, David Carradine's feature directorial debut, You and Me, was released. The movie starred Carradine, Barbara Hershey, and his brothers Keith and Robert and had been shot in 1972, between making the Kung Fu pilot and the series.
1975: End of relationship with Barbara Hershey
In 1975, David Carradine's relationship with Barbara Hershey ended. The couple had lived together since 1968 and appeared in films such as Boxcar Bertha together.
1976: Carradine stars in Bound for Glory
In 1976, David Carradine portrayed Woody Guthrie in Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory, receiving critical praise and a Golden Globe nomination.
1978: Carradine stars in Deathsport
In 1978, David Carradine played Kaz Oshay in the movie Deathsport.
1978: Deathsport and Circle of Iron
In 1978, David Carradine starred in Deathsport, an unofficial sequel to Death Race 2000, and played multiple roles in Circle of Iron.
1980: Arrest for marijuana possession in South Africa
In 1980, while filming Safari 3000 in South Africa, David Carradine was arrested for possession of marijuana. He was convicted and given a suspended sentence, claiming he was framed by the apartheid government for dancing with Tina Turner.
1981: Directorial Role with Americana
In 1981, David Carradine directed, starred in, produced, and edited the film Americana, which won the People's Choice Award at Cannes.
1982: Carradine in Q – The Winged Serpent
In 1982, David Carradine played Detective Shepherd in the film Q – The Winged Serpent.
1983: Carradine in Lone Wolf McQuade
In 1983, David Carradine played Rawley Wilkes in the movie Lone Wolf McQuade.
1984: Arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol
In 1984, David Carradine was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. This was the first of at least two such incidents.
1985: Role in North and South
In 1985, David Carradine appeared in the miniseries North and South as Justin LaMotte, earning a Golden Globe nomination.
1985: Golden Globe nomination for North and South
In 1985, David Carradine received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the television miniseries North and South.
1986: Marriage to Gail Jensen
In 1986, David Carradine married Gail Jensen. This marriage, like his previous one, ended in divorce.
1986: Kung Fu: The Movie
In 1986, David Carradine reprised his role as Caine in Kung Fu: The Movie for TV, which he also produced. It was the acting debut of Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee.
1989: Second DUI arrest
In 1989, David Carradine was arrested a second time for driving under the influence of alcohol. He pleaded no contest and received a harsher-than-average sentence, including jail time, community service, and an alcohol rehabilitation program.
1993: Kung Fu: The Legend Continues TV series
In 1993, David Carradine starred in 'Kung Fu: The Legend Continues,' a new TV series where he played the grandson of Kwai Chang Caine. The series ran for four years and consisted of 88 episodes. Carradine also worked as a producer and directed one episode.
April 1, 1997: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
On April 1, 1997, David Carradine received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1997: Divorce from Gail Jensen
In 1997, David Carradine divorced Gail Jensen. This was one of the several marriages that ended in divorce.
1997: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
In 1997, David Carradine received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The presenters played an April Fool's Day prank on him by first unveiling a star bearing the name of his brother, Robert.
1998: Marriage to Marina Anderson
In 1998, David Carradine married Marina Anderson. Like his previous marriages, this one ended in divorce.
2001: Divorce from Marina Anderson
In 2001, David Carradine divorced Marina Anderson, adding to his list of dissolved marriages.
2003: Instructional videos on tai chi and Qigong
By 2003, David Carradine had acquired enough expertise in martial arts to produce and star in several instructional videos on tai chi and Qigong.
2003: Kill Bill: Volume 1 release
In 2003, David Carradine experienced a career revival after being cast in Quentin Tarantino's film, Kill Bill: Volume 1.
2003: Carradine stars in Kill Bill
In 2003, David Carradine played the title character in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill duology.
2003: Songs for American Reel
In 2003, David Carradine wrote and performed several songs for the film American Reel.
December 26, 2004: Marriage to Annie Bierman
On December 26, 2004, David Carradine married Annie Bierman at Michael Madsen's home in Malibu. With this marriage, he gained three stepdaughters and a stepson.
2004: Carradine stars in Kill Bill Vol 2
In 2004, David Carradine played the title character in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill duology.
2004: Kill Bill: Volume 2 release
In 2004, David Carradine starred in Kill Bill: Volume 2. He received a Golden Globe nomination and a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Bill.
2005: Interview about working as much as possible
In 2005, David Carradine discussed a period where he worked extensively, earning an award from Psychotronic Magazine for "Most Working Actor in the Universe" after making nineteen movies in eighteen months. He also mentioned his involvement in the second series of Kung Fu due to the decline of independent movies.
2005: Visit to Shaolin Monastery in China
In 2005, David Carradine visited the Shaolin Monastery in Henan, China, as part of the extra features for the third season of the Kung Fu DVDs. The abbot recognized Carradine's contribution to promoting the Shaolin Monastery and kung fu culture.
2005: Carradine Interview on Kung Fu's Origins
In a 2005 interview, David Carradine disputed the claim that Bruce Lee came up with the idea for Kung Fu.
2005: Carradine Interview on Acting
In a 2005 interview, David Carradine mentioned his father encouraged him to pursue acting after seeing him in a production of Romeo & Juliet.
May 31, 2009: Arrival in Bangkok for film shoot
On May 31, 2009, David Carradine arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, to begin shooting the film Stretch. This was shortly before his death.
June 3, 2009: David Carradine's Death
On June 3, 2009, David Carradine, an American actor, director, and producer, passed away.
June 4, 2009: Carradine Found Dead in Bangkok
On June 4, 2009, David Carradine was found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand. The cause of death was determined to be accidental death by auto-erotic asphyxiation.
July 1, 2009: Autopsy results released by Carradine family
On July 1, 2009, Michael Baden, the medical examiner hired by David Carradine's family, released the autopsy results, stating that Carradine's death was due to asphyxiation, and that the way his body was bound allowed him to rule out suicide.
2009: Films in post-production at time of death
In 2009, at the time of his death, David Carradine had approximately a dozen films in post-production. Most of these roles were cameos or small parts in independent, direct-to-DVD productions.
February 2010: Premiere of The Legend of Stuart Mossman: A Modern Stradivari
In February 2010, The Legend of Stuart Mossman: A Modern Stradivari, a documentary co-produced by David Carradine about luthier Stuart Mossman, premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Directed by Barry Brown, this was Carradine's last film appearance.
2013: Release of Night of the Templar
In 2013, Night of the Templar, the cult independent film directed by Paul Sampson, was released. This was David Carradine's final released film.
2014: Posthumous Induction into Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame
In 2014, David Carradine was posthumously inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.
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