Photo: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Robert Carradine, who starred in Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71, his family confirmed to the New York Times. His daughter, Ever Carradine, shared that her father died by suicide and was privately grappling with bipolar disorder. “We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder,” his family shared in a statement. “We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.” His older brother Keith hopes that people can remember Robert for his “beautiful soul” and pay tribute to his battle with bipolar disorder. “We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” he told Deadline. “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul. He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day. We will take solace in how funny he could be, how wise and utterly accepting and tolerant he was. That’s who my baby brother was.”
Almost every member of Robert’s immediate family was involved in show business. His father, John Carradine, was a character actor specializing in horror, westerns, and Shakespeare, with those genres overlapping in some of his roles. Growing up, Robert wanted to be a race-car driver and had no interest in acting, but he soon found his place onscreen. His first role was in a western with John Wayne in 1972’s The Cowboys, and while it didn’t cure his racing bug — Robert would race cars from the late ’70s to the early 2000s — it did show him how much he loved acting. He starred as one of the nerds, Lewis Skolnick, in the film Revenge of the Nerds and its sequels, before landing Lizzie McGuire. He played goofy father Sam McGuire in the Disney Channel hit alongside Hilary Duff. He briefly reprised his role as Sam McGuire for the canceled Hulu reboot that never came to be, but he did get to reunite with the cast for a table read of an old episode in 2020.
Below, tributes from the Carradine family and the cast of Lizzie McGuire.
If you or anyone you know are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988.
“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away. In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon on light to everyone around him. We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder. We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness. At this time we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion.”
Duff, who played Carradine’s daughter on her hit show Lizzie McGuire, remembered him with kindness and considered him an “old friend.”
Lalaine, who played Duff’s best friend on Lizzie McGuire, shared a photo of Carradine on her private Instagram alongside a caption paying tribute to the late actor. “It’s really not fair. I’m fu*ked up atm..,” she wrote. “I am thankful tho. Thankful I had time with you, thankful for our last conversation, and your constant fatherly like support. I love you Bobby.”
Carradine’s wife on Lizzie McGuire became close to him, and she thanked the Disney Channel show for giving her a dear friend for more than 25 years.
As the son of the McGuire household, Thomas probably spent the most time onscreen with Carradine and considered him family.
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