‘Revenge of the Nerds’ and ‘Lizzie McGuire’ Star Dies Robert Carradine – Cause of Death Revealed

Robert Carradine, the actor known for his roles in Revenge of the Nerds, Lizzie McGuire and The Long Riders, has died at 71. According to a statement his family gave to Deadline, Carradine took his own life after a long struggle with Bipolar Disorder.

In their statement, the family shared their grief and spoke openly about his mental health battle. “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.”

His older brother, actor Keith Carradine, also spoke about Robert’s illness. He said the family wanted people to know what Robert had been facing. “We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” he said. “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.”

Carradine was born on March 24, 1954. He was the youngest son of actor John Carradine and the brother of David Carradine and Keith Carradine. Acting ran in the family, but Robert built his own career step by step.

He made his film debut in 1972 in The Cowboys alongside John Wayne. He later appeared in Coming Home, directed by Hal Ashby and starring Jane Fonda and Jon Voight. The film won an Oscar and brought him serious attention as an actor. He also worked with Martin Scorsese on Mean Streets early in his career.

In 1980, he appeared in The Big Red One and The Long Riders, the latter directed by Walter Hill. The Long Riders was special because it cast real-life brothers to play outlaw brothers, including Robert and his own siblings.

His biggest mainstream hit came in 1984 with Revenge of the Nerds. He played Lewis Skolnick, the leader of a group of college outsiders. The movie became a major comedy of the decade and made him a familiar face to a whole generation. Years later, he found new fans when he played the father on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire.

Outside of acting, Carradine loved music and racing. He played guitar even though he never learned to read music. He often performed with his brothers in Colorado and shared the stage with folk singers like Peter Yarrow and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. He also loved race car driving and competed at the Grand Prix level in the late 1980s and 1990s. At one point, he was a driver for Team Lotus alongside Paul Newman.

Family was at the center of his life. He had three children, including actress Ever Carradine. He was also a grandfather and stayed close to his extended family, including his niece, actress Martha Plimpton, who once said he was everyone’s favorite uncle.

Robert Carradine is survived by his children, grandchildren, brothers, nieces and nephews. His family has asked for privacy as they grieve.

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