Robert Carradine, star of The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, has died. He was 71.
The Carradine family in a statement obtained on Tuesday by The Hollywood Reporter said: “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.”
The family acknowledged “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.”
No date or cause of death for Robert Carradine was given by the family. Born on March 24, 1954, Robert Carradine was the youngest son of actor John Carradine and actress Sonia Sorel, a brother to actors David Carradine and Keith Carradine and Disney imagineer Christopher Carradine.
He made his movie acting debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys, having auditioned for the role after brother David insisted he “had everything to gain and nothing to lose.” Robert Carradine revisited the character in the TV series The Cowboys, which aired for only one season.
That early role led to additional acting gigs, including in Hal Ashby’s Vietnam drama Coming Home, where he appeared opposite Jane Fonda and Jon Voight, and in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets.
In 1980, Robert Carradine attended the Cannes Film Festival with two movies, Samuel Fuller’s The Big Red One, which also starred Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin, and Walter Hill’s The Long Riders, where he appeared alongside brothers David and Keith Carradine playing real-life outlaw brothers.
During shooting on The Long Riders, David Carradine bought his movie horse, Z-Tan, who would live on brother Robert Carradine’s property in the Hollywood Hills. A key role for Robert Carradine came in 1984 with Revenge of the Nerds, in which he starred as head nerd Lewis Skolnick. He went on to reprise that classic college comedy role in three sequels.
He also starred as the father in the Lizzie McGuire series. Hilary Duff, who played Robert Carradine’s onscreen daughter, in an Instagram post paid tribute to her co-star and longtime friend. “This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend. 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,” she wrote.
Robert Carradine was also a musician alongside brothers Keith and David Carradine and they appeared at the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride, Colorado, and he accompanied his friend and childhood hero Peter Yarrow and folk legend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott onstage.
Robert Carradine is survived by a daughter, actress Ever Carradine, who he had with Susan Snyder. He had two more children, Marika and Ian Carradine, with Edith Mari. Robert Carradine is also survived by his grandchildren, Chaplin and Jack.
