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David Carradine -- Suicidal Tendencies

Posted Jun 4th 2009 11:50AM by TMZ Staff

David CarradineIt's become painfully clear that David Carradine had wrestled with suicidal thoughts long before this morning's tragedy.

In a 2004 interview dug up by the Telegraph Newspaper, the 72-year-old actor revealed that he once considered shooting himself, saying: "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."

But there's more -- Carradine, who was also a musician, released a song on his website called Big Mack Truck, about a man who considers ending his life by walking into traffic. Here are some of the lyrics:

Does anyone know where I'm going ... does anyone here really care?

David Carradine: Click to listenIf I walk myself on a highway ... would that big mac truck be there?

Big mack truck .. big mack truck ... bearin' down on me.

Big mack truck on a highway .. oh say can you see ... can you see ... can you see?



Tags: david carradine, DavidCarradine, suicide

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46. Let the man rest already! Hasn't he been through enough. I know what it's like to think about offing yourself and YES you think about it for years &years before you actually do and do it. My condolenses to his family.

Posted at 2:58PM on Jun 4th 2009 by 70's t.v. nut

47. I liked his movies. Too bad he had to go there to do it . The American press would have loved it here. Now I guess I will see KILL BILL.

Posted at 2:56PM on Jun 4th 2009 by t.v. MOM

48. I don't think it was suicide or murder. I think it was an accident, auto erotic asphyxiation, he was found hung, naked in a closet just like Michael Hutchence.

Posted at 3:00PM on Jun 4th 2009 by bryan

49. I hear David Carradine is really hung

Posted at 3:08PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Bulbous Billy

50. Good heavens TMZ, use a little better judgment will you? I hope you don't lose fans by failing to put the right memorial on Mr. Carradine's legacy! Remember, you're dealing with Kwai Chang Caine, 'the grasshopper', the humble Master of kiss ass! Mr. Carradine made an unquestionable contribution to the action film genre. In fact, he and Bruce Lee were the two pioneers who inspired untold millions into taking up martial arts training. Please give the man his proper respects! It's not about how he died...it's about HOW HE LIVED and the profound legacy he left behind.

Posted at 3:16PM on Jun 4th 2009 by IRON DRAGON MARTIAL ARTS

51. I agree wityh the person who wrote why kill yourself at 72 ? You are almost there anyway .

Posted at 8:20PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Duncan Bagel

52. I hear David Carradine is really hung.

Posted at 3:19PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Leonardo Dicatletgo

53. When most people think of summer health hazards, they think of swimming, lightning, and fireworks. They don't think of suicide. But suicide is a huge public health problem, killing more than 32,000 people in the United States each year alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It is the 11th leading cause of death, higher than liver disease (cirrhosis), Parkinson's disease, and homicide. While women make more suicide attempts, men are far more likely to choose a lethal method and to die by suicide. And yes, there are more suicides in the spring and early summer.

David Carradine's death by suicide is typical in many ways: time of year (summer), age (older) and sex (male). Suicide is a major public health problem that deserves more attention. My heart goes out to his family.

Read more: http://www.medpie.com/top-health-stories/in-the-news/suicide-summer.html

Posted at 3:34PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Barbara Lock

54. Well he's 72 so he's not all that good at the suicide game. I'm inclined to believe he was playing naughty with the rope.
Best wishes, David!

Posted at 3:53PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Anana

55. People who commit suicide don't strip naked and go into a closet to do it.

Posted at 3:37PM on Jun 4th 2009 by casual observer

56. "An officer on the scene described finding Carradine's naked body hanging in his closet with rope around his neck as well as "other body parts".


Sounds like ol' grasshopper was into auto-erotic asphyxiation. Tsk Tsk.

Posted at 3:45PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Josie

57. Autoerotic Asphyxiation

Posted at 3:48PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Crow

58. Just like Bruce Lee and his son Brandon, David Carradine has been mysteriously executed for his role in spreading formerly unknown and very secretive Chinese arts, including Kung Fu, to Caucasians in the United States. Bet on it! Most likely, a legitimate cause of his demise will never be found or disclosed. Suicide? That will be the final determination, but it will not be the reality. This is a payback, that certain unknown elements feel to be long overdue. Apparently they have succeeded.



Posted at 3:55PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Ignatius Haribal

59. I think it was a murder cover up as well because, why would he be naked??

Posted at 4:56PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Jordan

60. How close to wrapping was the movie? That's important,
because:
He's dealt with his demons for a long time. If he had chosen to end it he would NEVER have done it to the detriment of the movie or the other people whose livelihood was involved.
He had SELF-DISCIPLINE (as he showed both in overcoming his addictions, and in his career as an actor - personally & professionally),
He was a SEEKER and very aware that a rock he threw into water would makes ripples beyond himself and would have c.onsidered all the cast & crew before himself.
He had a major sense of HONOR, and he strived and worked so hard to to attain a righteous viewpoint and way of living.
NEVER would he have badly affected the movie's completion - for all the others involved, and also because he would want to be remembered with honor for all he'd done and been.
He wouldn't have let all he strove to accomplish be tainted in the end by not waiting a short while to leave if he was ready to go. He was not a live-in-the-moment man. He cared how his actions affected him in eternity.
It was either an auto-erotic ACCIDENT or a murder.

Posted at 4:20PM on Jun 4th 2009 by TheLadyFidgets

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