Los Angeles, California – Actor Robert Carradine, known for his roles in Lizzie McGuire and Revenge of the Nerds, has passed away at the age of 71.
As his family announced in a statement released to Deadline, Carradine took his own life after a decades-long battle with mental illness.
The obituary reads: “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.”
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The family added, “We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.”
Carradine’s brother, Keith, emphasized that he wants others to know that “there is no shame” in his death.
“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 said.
Carradine comes from a family of actors.
He is the son of the late John Carradine and Sonia Sorel. Keith, as well as Carradine’s half-brothers Michael Bowen and David Carradine, have also appeared in numerous film and series productions.
Carradine made his film debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys.
He celebrated one of his greatest film successes in 1984 with Revenge of the Nerds, in which he played one of the leaders of the nerds called Lewis Skolnick.
In 1996, he appeared in the cult film Escape from LA.
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From 2001 to 2004, he appeared in 65 episodes of the Disney Channel sitcom Lizzie McGuire, where he played the titular teen’s father, Sam.
“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,” Keith Carradine told Deadline.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Hotline by calling or texting 988 for free and confidential support. You can also text “HOME” to 741741 anytime for the Crisis Text Line and access to live, trained crisis counselors.
