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By Devin Gordon
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Q&A: David Carradine
After three years of walking the earth in the early '70s TV series "Kung Fu," David Carradine vanished into a straight-to-video career. Then Quentin Tarantino called. Now he's the titular villain in the director's two-volume action opus "Kill Bill." Carradine, 67, spoke about the journey with NEWSWEEK's Devin Gordon.
We never see Bill in "Vol. 1"--we just hear his voice. When did you find out you'd been cut?
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It was kind of in passing. I was at the studio redoing some dialogue and Quentin just said, "Oh, by the way, you're not in 'Volume 1'." [Laughs] He wasn't even lookin' at me.
And you felt...?
Well, I felt a jolt, I'll tell ya that. But then I realized it would work. I'm a mystery in the first half and I dominate the second. That's cool.
Tarantino wrote the part just for you--but then gave it to Warren Beatty.
Well, it wasn't a betrayal because, let's face it, you've got to get a deal for your movie. Warren's a big draw.
What happened to him?
I don't really think it was possible for Quentin and Warren to continue a romance for as long as they had to. They're just nothing like each other. And I don't really think Warren wanted to learn kung fu. Can you imagine Warren Beatty getting in his sweats every morning and going to the gym for three months? Can you imagine Warren taking orders? He's f---ing royalty.
You can say it: Warren Beatty's a wimp.
[Laughs] I don't think you can say that. I mean, come on, he's Clyde Barrow!
Any idea how many movies you've made?
102.
Feel free to ballpark if you're not certain.
Yeah. [Laughs] I try to keep track.
I must say, you've got a cool phone voice.
Well, you've gotta have a voice if you're gonna do Shakespeare, so those chops are there. It's funny, I keep hearing about my voice, but to me it's just my voice. It's nothing special.
Posh and Becks: Trouble in Paradise
Britain's royal family is suffering through another scandal. Not Charles and Camilla, but the new regal couple, soccer god David Beckham and his wife, ex-Spice Girl Victoria. The overexposed duo has been hounded even more than usual since the British tab News of the World published text messages between Beckham and his then personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, 26. (The racy exchanges include numerous references to tongues, nipples and cotton undergarments.) The two allegedly started the affair last year after a lonely David, who now plays in Madrid, felt abandoned by his wife, who's busily trying to sing again. Beckham calls the allegations "ludicrous," but Victoria is more circumspect: "We have been through a lot worse than this and we're definitely going to get through it." If you can survive the Spice Girls, you can survive anything.
Navel gazing:
Debra Messing had her baby last week, and not a moment too soon. Watching Messing on "Will & Grace" was getting confusing, considering that Grace isn't pregnant and producers barely hid Messing's middle. Such a blind eye to maternity is the new sitcom custom. On "The King of Queens," Leah Remini is getting round with no TV explanation. And Courteney Cox is showing on "Friends," although Monica can't conceive. Guess that's why it's called acting.
Heartburn:
Rocco DiSpirito is suing the backers of Rocco's on 22nd St., the made-for-TV eatery in "The Restaurant." DiSpirito alleges that, among other things, China Group Management made him use frozen pasta and, worse, wouldn't pay his 79-year-old mother, Nicolina, who toiled away making meatballs. Make DiSpirito look bad on TV--fine. But pick on mama and you're looking for trouble.
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