Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in “Lizzie McGuire” and the “Revenge of the Nerds” franchise, has died. He was 71.
On Monday, the actor’s family confirmed his death in a statement to Deadline.
“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,” the statement began.
“In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon on light to everyone around him,” the statement continued. “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.”
Carradine’s career in Hollywood began over five decades ago.
He landed his first major roles on the television series “Bonanza” in 1971 and in the John Wayne Western “The Cowboys” in 1972. He later scored roles in Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets,” Hal Ashby’s “Coming Home” and Samuel Fuller’s World War II film “The Big Red One.”
He landed his most memorable role in 1984 with “Revenge of the Nerds,” in which he played head nerd Lewis Skolnick.
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Carradine later starred in the Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire” as Hilary Duff’s on-screen dad.
Though he came from a family of well-known entertainers, Carradine’s first love wasn’t acting.
“I always had a passion to be a race car driver, and that’s what I thought I was going to do, and at some penultimate moment… I think I was sitting with my brother David when ‘The Cowboys’ was being cast, and they were interested in David as the bad guy, and he didn’t want to be the guy that shot John Wayne in the back,” Carradine said in an interview with Popdose in 2013. “But he said, ‘You know, it is called ‘The Cowboys,’ and they’re meeting all these young guys. Why don’t you go in?’”
Carradine’s daughter, “The Handmaid’s Tale” actress Ever Carradine, paid tribute to her late father on Instagram.
“My dad died today,” Ever wrote in a post on Tuesday. “My sweet, funny dad, who’s only 20 years older than I am, who never missed an opportunity to drive me to the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing, is gone.”
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“If you knew my dad, you know he’s the guy that’s always there. Invite him to dinner? He’s in. Kid’s Little League game in Simi Valley, just tell him what time,” Ever continued. “Red eye flight and need a ride home from the airport, just text him your column number after you get your bags.”
“Growing up in the 70s and 80 with a single dad in Laurel Canyon is not exactly the recipe for a grounded childhood, but somehow mine was,” Ever said. “Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad. I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back.”
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“I think it’s partly because we basically grew up together. Twenty years age difference really isn’t that much, and while I never ever thought of him as a sibling, I did always think of him as my partner,” she continued.
“We were in it together. I never wanted to let him down, and I wanted him to trust that I had his back the same way that he had mine. I learned a lot from my dad — never put a horse away wet, don’t let hose water dry on your car, change your own wiper blades and never wave a forced call. I also learned something that was more foundational than I ever really understood, and that was what a waste of time it is to hold a grudge.”
Hilary Duff, Carradine’s on-screen daughter from “Lizzie McGuire,” penned an emotional goodbye to her late friend.
“This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend,” she wrote on Instagram. “There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.”
Carradine’s niece, actress Martha Plimpton, also wrote her own tribute on social media.
“My Uncle Bobby was the best one of all 8 brothers; blood, adopted, and step. Out of all of them, he was the absolute best,” she wrote on Instagram. “He was the one who cuddled me when I came to visit my father in LA for the first time at 8 or 9 years old. He cuddled and kidded me for being the only Carradine from New York. ‘Come ova hee-ah! Maw-thuh! Get ova hee-uh!’ He did a terrible New York accent. I was an alien and Bobby joshed me about it, and I adored him for it.”
“Also, he was the best actor of the bunch. By a THOUSAND MILES. Don’t believe me? Just watch him. In The Cowboys, his first movie with John Wayne. Or in The Big Red One. Or in Coming Home. He’s honestly, in fact, the best actor of all of them. And I think I know why. Because he was KIND. He had inherent KINDNESS in him. He was dear, and loving, and nonjudgmental. And he loved honestly. He made mistakes like anyone else, like any human. But he never lost his decency, or his heart.”
Speaking to Deadline, Robert’s brother, Keith, said the Carradine family’s hope is to educate the public about bipolar disorder.
“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” Keith told the outlet. “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.”
