BANGKOK (AP) -- 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 Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.

The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room and is believed to have committed suicide.

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 TV series "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."


OMG! He played the "bad guy" in one of my fav mini-series called "North & South" He was "Justin" the series .. it was shot in the 80's but is still rad! (The Patrick Swayze character was his enemy - lol)

BRUTAL news for his family -

This is so incredibly sad.

Sad news, never an understanding why..lived such a long good life it seems, would he feel so at loss.

Totally sad! There could be 1,000 reasons .. maybe he found out he had a term illness and did not ant to deal, maybe depressed, drugs, ect ... Who knows? Doubtful the family will say or explain even if they know. SO SAD

OMG, NO WAY!

So sad He was such a great actor...I loved Kung Fu young Grasshopper...RIP David and thank you.

This was very sad to hear...I always loved watching him in the old Kung Fu movies, even though he was acting he still seemed to have that aura around him that made it believable. Great talent, huge loss.

R.I.P. David

It appears he may have died accidentally as a result of an autoerotic act! They say a cord was found tied around his neck and one around his genitals and these were tied together.

Seems to have been a tragic accident!

Sad sad way to go for a great actor! Loved him in Kung Fu!

Sad

OMG this is horrible..... i have only seen him in Kill Bill vol 1 and 2..... i would not believe he would of done that, if the illness is true... thats makes scense sooooooo sad!!!!! omg!!!!

I don't understand how some kids are actually trying this and ending up dead???? KIDS??

They're blaming two men dressed as prostitutes.

So define the fetish and the extreme a lil differently. You may have to change all your presumptions in a whole new light.

This is where assuming finds people.

He's dead. R.I.P.

I hope they find the responsible.

the truth will be known