David Carradine was an entertainer.
David Carradine ( born John Arthur Carradine ; December 8 , 1936 -- June 3 , 2009 ) was an American actor and martial artist . Carradine 's acting career , which included major and minor roles on stage and television , and in cinema , spanned over four decades . A prolific `` B '' movie actor , he appeared in more than 100 feature films in career spanning over sixty years . In addition to his acting career , Carradine was a director and musician . Kung Fu is an American action-adventure martial arts western drama television series starring David Carradine .