Kill Bill star found dead in wardrobe of Bangkok hotel

David Carradine, star of the television series Kung Fu and the Kill Bill movies, has been found hanged and half-naked in the wardrobe of a Bangkok hotel. Photo / AP

UPDATED:

Family and friends of late

Kill Bill

actor

David Carradine

, whose body was reportedly found hanging in a Bangkok hotel room, dispute the theory that he may have taken his own life.

The Oscar-nominated actor, 72, star of 70s TV series

Kung Fu

and the

Kill Bill

movies, was found dead by a maid, hanged and half-naked in the wardrobe of a Bangkok hotel room on Thursday, according to reports.

Mourning the star's sudden death, his manager,

Tiffany Smith

, tells People.com that the actor was "too full of life", before adding, "I can tell you 100 per cent that he would have never committed suicide."

A family spokesperson has also issued a statement following the tragic death.

The short statement on behalf of his relatives said the family "is devastated by the news of David's passing.

"Circumstances surrounding his death are still unknown, and there will be no further comment until more information can be confirmed," said the statement.

"The family appreciates the many expressions of condolence, and asks for privacy at this time."

'Believed to have committed suicide'

According to a report on Thailand's

The Nation

news site, preliminary police investigations suggested the star had possibly committed suicide and hanged himself with a curtain cord, while staying at a suite at the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel.

The report claimed Carradine had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday, while filming his latest film,

Stretch

, and failed to turn up for a meal with the rest of the crew on Wednesday.

However, they did not raise the alarm, believing the acting veteran was simply resting.

Reports say Carradine was found by a hotel maid with a rope around his neck and body at 10am the following morning. There was no sign of a fight or a suicide note. "We do not believe anybody else was involved in his death," an unnamed source said.

"I can confirm that we found his body, naked, hanging in the closet," said investigating police, according to Foxnews.com.

Police said the actor died between 11pm on Wednesday and 1am on Thursday.

A police spokesman reportedly said: "We have nothing to add at this stage, apart from the fact that we do not believe anybody else was involved in his death.

"There is no investigation although a post mortem will be carried out."

The star's joint personal manager, Chuck Binder, told Fox News that the death is "shocking and sad. He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person."

Despite the Thai police reports indicating Carradine's death an apparent suicide, Binder disputed that. He said the death was "accidental".

The rep also spoke to celebrity news website

TMZ.com

and said: "

We can confirm 100 per cent that he never would have committed suicide. It was an accidental death. Everybody is in shock

."

Other online reports suggested Carradine may have died after attempting an erotic asphyxiation act, while wrapping a curtain cord around his neck.

Britain's

The Sun

newspaper quotes a police officer as saying the

Kung Fu

icon had been found in his suite, half-naked, and that a "rope was attached to his neck" and other parts of his body.

INXS frontman

Michael Hutchence

was found dead in a Sydney hotel room in 1997. Although his death was declared as a suicide, it was widely speculated that he may have died as a result of autoerotic asphyxiation.

Another British newspaper, the

Telegraph

, reports that Carradine had spoken about contemplating suicide in interviews in the past.

The newspaper quoted him as saying during a 2004 interview, "I remember one time sitting in the window of the third or fourth floor of the Plaza Hotel for about an hour, thinking about just tipping off. And that was at a time when I was having more fun than you could imagine.

"I just thought, 'Who the ---- cares, man? Why don't I just split?' Of course I didn't, so there you go."

During the same interview, he also reportedly spoke about shooting himself.

"Look, there was a period in my life when I had a single action Colt 45, loaded, in my desk drawer. And every night I'd take it out and think about blowing my head off, and then decide not to and go on with my life.

"Put it back in the drawer and open up the laptop and continue writing my autobiography or whatever. But it was just to see.

"I'm not afraid of anything. Why would you be afraid of death? It would be an inconvenience. I have a lot of undone things and it's bound to get in the way. But, no, it doesn't scare me at all," he told the entertainment website IGN.com.

Video: Carradine in iconic TV series Kung Fu

A spokesman for the US Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed Carradine's death, but said he would not be providing any further details out of consideration for his family.

A prolific actor who appeared in more than 100 films and TV dramas during his career, Carradine was best known for his role as the fugitive monk Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV show

Kung Fu

, and most recently as a sword-wielding baddie in

Quentin Tarantino

's two-part

Kill Bill

revenge saga.

Video: David Carradine talks about his role in Kill Bill

UPDATES:

02:45pm

- The

Telegraph

has revealed more details surrounding Carradine's mysterious death. The newspaper quotes a police official as saying, "There is no trace of fighting in the hotel room and the room was locked from inside. There is no sign of bruising on his body.

"We are investigating from where he got the rope because it does not seem it was from the hotel."

It was reported earlier that Carradine may have committed suicide and hanged himself with a curtain cord.

12:40pm

-

Etonline.com

is reporting new details about the autopsy of Carradine. A representative at Chulalongkorn Hospital, where the actor's body was taken, says the autopsy results will be available in two days.

10:40am

- A family spokesperson has issued a short statement saying the family "is devastated by the news of David's passing.

"Circumstances surrounding his death are still unknown, and there will be no further comment until more information can be confirmed," said the statement.

"The family appreciates the many expressions of condolence, and asks for privacy at this time."

In a separate statement, Carradine's niece, actress

Martha Plimpton

, says: "My Uncle David was a brilliantly talented, fiercely intelligent and generous man.

"He was the nexus of our family in so many ways, and drew us together over the years and kept us connected. I adored him as a child, and as an adult I admired and respected him. We will all miss him terribly."

While Carradine's manager adds, "We are not saying it's an accidental death because we don't know. Right now we are just letting everyone know that it's under investigation and we'll see ... I just know he didn't do this to himself."

Meanwhile, director

Adam Rifkin

, who worked with Carradine on National Lampoon's

Homoerectus

movie, says he doesn't believe the actor killed himself.

"More than anyone I have ever met, David Carradine was a generous man who loved life.

"I find it extremely hard to believe that David — who was such a hard-working, energetic and beloved Hollywood legend — was done in by his own hand."

9:40am

- Carradine's lawyer and longtime friend,

Vicki Roberts

, who married the star and his wife

Annie

at pal

Michael Madsen

's home in December 2004, is asking us not to "jump to conclusions about his death".

She tells WENN: "I would also hope that there would be a full investigation before any conclusions are drawn."

She adds, "I have known David Carradine and his wife Annie for many, many years and I was honoured to have performed their marriage ceremony in 2004 at the home of Michael Madsen. My deepest condolences go out to Annie and the family."

Carradine was married five times and leaves two daughters and a son.

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Pictured: David Carradine, star of the television series Kung Fu and the Kill Bill movies. Photo / AP

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