David Carradine was not an actor.
Bound for Glory (film) . The film stars David Carradine as folk singer Woody Guthrie and Ronny Cox , Melinda Dillon , Gail Strickland , John Lehne , Ji-Tu Cumbuka and Randy Quaid . David Carradine ( born John Arthur Carradine ; December 8 , 1936 -- June 3 , 2009 ) was an American actor and martial artist . He was known for his leading role as a peace-loving Shaolin monk , Kwai Chang Caine , in the 1970s television series Kung Fu . 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 ) . Kung Fu is an American action-adventure martial arts western drama television series starring David Carradine .