Revenge Of The Nerds And Lizzie McGuire Actor Robert Carradine Dead At 71
Robert Carradine, an actor from a long-working acting family, has died at the age of 71. According to Deadline, Carradine died by suicide after having struggled with bipolar disorder for two decades. Carradine is perhaps best known for his performance as the uber-nerd Lewis Skolnick in the "Revenge of the Nerds" franchise, as well as for playing Lizzie's father Sam McGuire on "Lizzie McGuire," starring Hilary Duff.
Carradine was the son of long-working actor John Carradine, who died in 1988, and brother of actor Keith Carradine and half-brother of actor David Carradine, who died in 2009. The Carradine family issued the following statement regarding Robert's death:
"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."
Robert Carradine has died after a long career that began in the 1970s
Born in 1954 to actor and artist Sonia Sorel and actor John Carradine, Robert Carradine began his acting career in the 1970s, appearing on TV shows like "Bonanza" and "Kung Fu," which starred his brother David Carradine. He made his film debut in the 1972 John Wayne Western "The Cowboys" and had a small role in Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets" (which is Scorsese's personal favorite movie from his own career).
Carradine continued to take on small supporting roles, but he rose to greater mainstream success after playing Lewis Skolnick in the 1984 comedy "Revenge of the Nerds." Three more "Nerds" sequels followed the original film, and Carradine appeared as Lewis in all of them. Later, from 2001 to 2004, Carradine played Lizzie McGuire's father Sam McGuire on the hit Hilary Duff sitcom "Lizzie McGuire." He reprised the role in "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" in 2003.
In his personal life, Carradine struggled with bipolar disorder. In a statement released following Carradine's death, his brother Keith Carradine said of the mental health condition: "We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it. 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."