David Carradine was an American actor best known for his roles in martial arts movies. He was born into the Carradine family of actors, arguably sealing his fate on the silver screen. Becoming a well-known star in B-movies, Carradine has starred in over 100 feature films, over the course of his six-decade career. One of his most notable roles on screen was Kwai Chang Caine in the martial arts TV series Kung Fu, as well as his later roles in films like Last Hour and Big Stan. Carradine continued to work on numerous films up until his sudden and infamous death in 2009, which occurred due to auto-erotic asphyxiation.
Carradine’s influence on the cinematic community has been astounding, considering the sheer number of films he has been a part of. Within his vast filmography, there are bound to be some that stand out more than others. Whether it’s just a few seasons on a TV series like Kung Fu, or it’s a cinematic work in which Carradine served as more than just an actor like Americana, Carradine has surely earned his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. These are David Carrdine’s eight best performances, ranked.
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8 Last Stand at Saber River
TWS Productions
Starring alongside Tom Selleck, Haley Joel Osment, and Keith Carradine, David Carradine plays the role of Duane Kidston in Last Stand at Saber River, a made-for-TV Western that was subject to a great deal of praise for its portrayal of post-Civil War struggles. This Western revolves around a Confederate soldier returning to his homestead in Arizona, only to realize that Union sympathizers have taken his land for their own. In 1998, Last Stand at Saber River won Western Heritage Awards Bronze Wrangler for Television Feature Film.
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7 Americana
Crown International Pictures
Carradine stars in this dramatic film as a Vietnam War veteran who attempts to rebuild an abandoned carousel, leading him to face the traumas of his years of service. Based on a section of the novel The Perfect Round, the screenplay was originally set in a Post-WWII setting. Not only did Carradine star in the film, but he also served as producer, director, and editor. Americana won the People’s Choice Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1981. While some argued that the film was “twaddle”, the overall reception of Americana was positive, with the film receiving numerous standing ovations at screenings throughout the country.
6 Mean Streets
Warner Bros.
Mean Streets follows the lives of young criminals scattered throughout Little Italy in New York City. When a young thug finds himself under threat from local loan sharks, he seeks the help of his criminal friend to get out of his self-created mess. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Mean Streets stars big names like Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel. Carradine makes a small but memorable appearance in the film as the character only known as “the Drunk”. The film has been subject to universal acclaim since its release in 1973, earning praise for performances from the cast as well as the way in which the film portrays street-life.
5 Bound For Glory
United Artists
This partly fictionalized biopic revolves around folk singer Woody Guthrie, known for the song that would later be titled “This Land is Your Land,” with Carradine starring as Guthrie. Bound for Glory mostly revolves around Guthrie’s attempts to humanize Okie Dust Bowl refugees during the Great Depression. While the vast majority of the main events throughout the film are fictional, aside from Guthrie and his wife Mary, Bound for Glory was the first motion picture to use the Steadicam. This helped to earn Haskell Wexler the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
4 The Long Riders
Starring alongside real-life family Keith and Robert Carradine in this Western, David Carradine stars as Cole Younger, a gun-slinger who gets back together with his brothers to pull off a heist that turns into a chase. The Long Riders is a classic Western tale told in a classic Western style. The film was subject to a great deal of critical and commercial success, earning it attention from film critic groups everywhere. The Long Riders won the award for Best Music at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, and was also entered in the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.
3 Kung Fu
ABC
Other than the Kill Bill franchise, the old TV series Kung Fu is Carradine’s most notable work. Kung Fu follows the story of Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine, who travels through the American West armed with only his martial arts skills and his spiritual training. Despite the show’s numerous controversies, including the choice to cast Carradine, a non-Asian man, in the role of Kwai Chang Caine, a half-Chinese monk, Kung Fu broke ground by mixing the martial arts genre with the Western. Carradine’s performance over the course of three seasons earned him numerous nominations for Emmys and Golden Globe Awards. Recently, the show was remade in 2021 and premiered on The CW.
2 Kill Bill Vol. 1
Miramax Films
Kill Bill Vol. 1 is Quentin Tarantino’s classic revenge story that is loosely based on the classic Samurai film Lady Snowblood. The main character, referred to as “the Bride,” goes on a rampage after a four-year coma, getting revenge on the people who tried their hardest to kill her, under orders from Bill. While some may argue that Bill’s absence throughout Kill Bill Vol. 1 doesn’t quite qualify as a performance from Carradine, the opposite is in fact true. Carradine’s performance in Kill Bill Vol. 1, through which we see only his hands and hear only his voice, has the more difficult task of establishing a strong sense of character without the use of facial expressions, hence why it’s on our list. Despite not being wholly visible, Bill’s presence is still felt throughout the movie — and that’s largely because of Carradine.
1 Kill Bill Vol. 2
Miramax
The grand finale of the Kill Bill franchise brings everything together as The Bride concludes her journey of revenge and Bill’s identity is revealed to be none other than Carradine. More complex and emotionally charged than the initial film, Kill Bill Vol. 2 is the perfect sequel that recreates everything everyone loved in Kill Bill Vol. 1 while also managing to improve on it. Not only do we get a glimpse into Bill’s sordid martial arts history, but we also get greater insight into his relationship with “the Bride” AKA Beatrix Kiddo, the mother of his child. Carradine’s outstanding performance as the ruthless head of the Deadly Viper Assasination Squad earned him a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.
