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Birth Name: John Arthur Carradine
Date of Birth: December 8, 1936
Place of Birth: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Death: June 3, 2009
Place of Death: Nai Lert Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
Ethnicity: English, Irish, German, Scottish, Welsh, Dutch, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, remote French
David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist. He was known for his role on the series Kung Fu , and in the Kill Bill films.
He was the son of Ardanelle Abigail (McCool) and actor John Carradine (born Richmond Reed Carradine), and the half-brother of actors Christopher Carradine, Keith Carradine, and Robert Carradine . David was married to Annie Bierman, until his death. He had a daughter with his former wife Donna Lee Becht; a son with his former partner, actress Barbara Hershey ; and a daughter, actress Kansas Carradine , with his former wife Linda Gilbert. He was the half-uncle of actresses Martha Plimpton and Sorel Carradine , who are Keith’s daughters; and of actress Ever Carradine , who is Robert’s daughter.
In an early 2000s interview with Stuff, a website, David stated that he had Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh, German, Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian, and Cherokee Native American ancestry. No verified Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian, or Cherokee Native American ancestry appears in publicly available family trees of David Carradine.
The surname Carradine is sometimes said to have an Italian or Spanish origin. David’s last traceable patrilineal ancestor is believed to have been a man named Parker Carradine, who was born in Georgia, in North America, c. 1755. There is no evidence that Parker had Italian or Spanish ancestry.
In the Kung Fu series, David played the part of a Shaolin priest named Kwai Chang Caine, who is Eurasian. David had mentioned that many Chinese people actually thought that he had some Chinese ancestry.
David died at the age of 72, in a hotel room in Bangkok. He was in Thailand to shoot a film at the time.
David’s paternal grandfather was William Reed Carradine (the son of The Rev. Beverly Francis Carradine and Laura Green Reid/Reed). William was born in Mississippi, and was a correspondent for the Associated Press. The Rev. Beverly was born in Altamont Plantation, Yazoo County, Mississippi, and was a Methodist minister, author, and leading evangelist for the holiness movementr. He was the son of Henry Francis Carradine, a planter; and of Mary Caroline Hewitt, whose maternal grandfather was a minister. David’s great-grandmother Laura was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of David Reid and Martha Goss.
David’s paternal grandmother was Genevieve Winifred Richmond (the daughter of Horace Culver Richmond and Winifred/Winnie Ryan). Genevieve was born in Milford, Otsego County, New York, and was a surgeon. Horace was born in West Oneonta, Otsego, the son of Killian van Rensselaer Richmond and Emily Culver, who was from New Hampshire. David’s great-grandmother Winifred was born in Otsego County, to Irish parents, Martin Ryan and Catherine.
David’s maternal grandfather was Ambrose Rucker McCool (the son of John S. McCool and Lucy C. Rucker). Ambrose was born in Illinois. John was born in Ohio, the son of Thomas McCool, whose paternal grandfather was from Country Antrim, Ireland; and of Hannah Dinsmore. Lucy was born in Virginia, the daughter of Ambrose Rucker and Miranda Haase.
David’s maternal grandmother was Edith Foster (the daughter of William Benjamin/Bolliver Foster and Emma Koch). Edith was born in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. William was born in Cincinnati, the son of Joseph Foster, who was English; and of Louisa Jane Coleman. Emma was born in Cincinnati.
Sources: Genealogies of David Carradine – http://famouskin.com https://www.geni.com https://www.findagrave.com https://www.wikitree.com
Genealogies of David Carradine (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.familytreecircles.com