David Carradine as Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in Kung Fu: The Movie in 1986. Photo: Getty Images
Kung Fu: how Bruce Lee lost out to David Carradine for role in martial arts TV series
- The adventures of a Shaolin monk in the Wild West were hugely popular in the early 1970s, with both US and UK audiences loving the kung fu action
- Bruce Lee had been up for the lead role but was overlooked in favour of Carradine, because producers felt US viewers would not understand Lee’s accent
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David Carradine as Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in Kung Fu: The Movie in 1986. Photo: Getty Images