David Carradine's new role
LOS ANGELES (AP) - April 1, 2008 His latest project is "Son of the Dragon," airing Wednesday
and Thursday on the new Hallmark Movie Channel HD. Carradine plays
Bird, mentor to a young thief who pretends to be a prince so he can
woo a Chinese princess.
"My character changes so much throughout the story," Carradine
told the Hallmark Channel. "You've got this fierce warrior who
resolves never to draw his sword again and then leads this sweet,
peaceful life, taking in all these homeless kids. It's almost like
I had a Clark Kent/Superman thing going: a mild-mannered guy with a
secret life."
Among his upcoming projects: "Chatham," in which he plays a
crusty sea captain who falls in love with a younger widow played by
Mariel Hemingway.
"I'm too old for the parts I did 35 years ago," Carradine
said. "But instead, what I get now with this nice little pile of
quality movies that are all waiting to be released, is this
assortment of really tough old men."
Carradine is perhaps still best known for his role as a Shaolin
priest traveling the American frontier West in "Kung Fu," which
aired 1972-75.
His "Son of the Dragon" character has several touches that are
uniquely Carradine.
"There's a scene where I literally fight myself, another
version of me," he said, "which is something I did on the
original `Kung Fu.' That's a moment my die-hard fans should
instantly pick up on."
