The Legendary David Carradine, dead at 72.

[Big C]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8083479.stm

Looks like it might have been suicide, too. Freakin' sucks.

[thepatient]

This is a bummer. I grew up watching Kung Fu. He was great in the original Death Race 2000, and Kill Bill. I was just reading the other day about Kill Bill, Tarantino originally cast Warren Beatty as Bill. During readings, Tarantino kept telling Beatty to play it more like David Carradine. Finally Beatty said, "If you want it that way why don't you hire him instead." Which is what Quintin did. A far better choice in my opinion.

Edit: Don't forget him on Wild West Tech on the History Channel, he was pretty cheesy/funny on that too. His brother also did that show. I watch most Saturday mornings.

[gfxguy]

I liked David Carradine a lot, but hanging naked in closet = auto-erotic asphyxiation, not suicide.

[Iare Tosevite]

The article didn't say anything about a closet?

Are you inside a closet on something? Because that is pretty wild assumation from the article.

[Daz Hoo]

Thai police told the BBC the 72-year-old was found naked by a hotel maid in a wardrobe with a cord around his neck and other parts of his body.

From this quote, one might assume that he was found in a closet. It sounds like it to me at least. Thus, I agree with gfxguy: sounds more like an accident (an unfortunate one, that is) than suicide.

But it still sucks. R.I.P.

[gfxguy]

The article didn't say anything about a closet?

Are you inside a closet on something? Because that is pretty wild assumation from the article.

I don't want to disrespect David, I thought very highly of him, but the initials reports reported he was found dead hanging in his closet, naked. While some of the new agencies, possibly out of respect, have edit their reports, at this time, MSNBC is still reporting this:

“I can confirm that we found his body, naked, hanging in the closet,” Teerapop said. He said police suspected suicide.

Auto-erotic asphyxiation is not suicide.

[Iare Tosevite]

Or maybe the bar found in closets is a convenient place to place a rope?

Old saying: Assume makes an sarlacc out of u and me.

[Jedd the Jedi]

I was very shocked to hear this news. Carradine is a versatile actor who has endeared himself to more than one generation. Apparently, cause of death is speculated to be autoerotic asphyxiation (look that up) as mentioned by gfxguy and yes, I heard on the BBC World Service that the Thai police found him with a cord around his neck and other body parts in the closet of his Swissotel room.

[Big C]

If I see the phrase "auto-erotic asphyxiation" in here one more time, I'ma start smacking people.

Gfxguy, you're right, but that's as far as we need to take that vein of the conversation. No more talk about what he might have been doing, please. It's not really a topic we need to talk about in this forum.

I started this thread so we can reflect on his life and the awesomeness that he was. Let's stick with that, please.

[meeotch]

I think that's kind of lame. There's a real world out there and sweeping some aspect of it under the carpet won't make it disappear. As it stands, some of the best possible evidence exists that he was engaged in something kinky when he died. So what? It doesn't change my view of the man at all. Maybe if it bothers others they need to either get off their high horse or come to terms with their own imperfections that passing judgements on others allows them to forget about.

Sorry for ranting, but these obit threads just bug me. The odds are slim to none that any of us knew David Carradine, so there isn't much to reflect on his awesomeness and life other than "I saw him in this role" or maybe it may go so far as to say "I copped my first feel during a Kung Fu marathon." I mean, the guy was Bill and that's about the most I've experienced him, and I liked Kill Bill, but I'm not going to pretend that I feel any sort of loss. No offense to the guy, but I bet he's going to become another anecdote, known better for the manner of his death than what he did in life.

[thepatient]

This is a bummer. I grew up watching Kung Fu. He was great in the original Death Race 2000, and Kill Bill. I was just reading the other day about Kill Bill, Tarantino originally cast Warren Beatty as Bill. During readings, Tarantino kept telling Beatty to play it more like David Carradine. Finally Beatty said, "If you want it that way why don't you hire him instead." Which is what Quintin did. A far better choice in my opinion.

I was watching Larry King Live last night and they had Quintin Tarantino talking about David Carradine. When talking about chosing him for the role, QT told a bit of a different story than the one I posted. He stated (to paraphrase) that he never had anyone else in mind for the role of Bill, in Kill Bill. He said he read Carradine's autobiography and that he was best for the role.

I read about the Warren Beatty story in an article called Kevin Kline as Batman, all about actors first chosen for classic roles but ended up with an actor that we are more familiar with in a role. The Carradine story was one part of the article.

So I was horrified when I saw a different tale on Larry King. I figured I would come on this morning and have "thepatient you're a liar" splashed on the forums. I guess no one watches Larry King any more and people find other aspects of this story more fascinating. *whew* Which story is true? I don't know now. I just wanted to CMA before I was called out on it.

[gfxguy]

Sorry for ranting, but these obit threads just bug me.

Absolutley; sorry I felt the need to post in this thread at all... I liked Carradine; I'm over 40 years old and have vivid memories of the original series that the whole family used to watch (one TV, no cable back then).

Frankly, I would have less respect if he actually did commit suicide, which is why I wanted the facts out there. Not to embarrass him or his family.

But the bottom line is that threads like this (and the current spammer selling electronics), and the thread about the bible study... none of them really belong on this site, IMO, but then I don't run it.

[Big C]

I think that's kind of lame.

Either get over it or leave. There are some things we are not going to talk about in this forum, and that's the way it is. Deal with it.