David Carradine is a mime.
David Carradine ( born John Arthur Carradine ; December 8 , 1936 -- June 3 , 2009 ) was an American actor and martial artist . He was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards , for projects such as the television series Kung Fu ( 1972 -- 1975 ) , the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory ( 1976 ) and the miniseries North and South ( 1985 ) .