Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Kayleigh Donaldson | Celebrity | February 24, 2026
Robert Carradine, the actor best known for roles in Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71. In a statement, his family said the actor died by suicide after living with bipolar disorder for nearly two decades.
The statement read (via Deadline):
“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’s brother, fellow actor Keith Carradine, also opened up about Robert’s mental health journey:
“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.”
Robert Carradine was the son of the legendary John Carradine. He made his film debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne and went on to appear in films like Coming Home, The Player, and Django Unchained. He worked consistently across film and TV for decades. Depending on your age, you may know him best from the Revenge of the Nerds movies, where he played Lewis Skolnick, or the TV series Lizzie McGuire, which featured him as Lizzie’s dad, Sam.
Hillary Duff shared her tribute to Carradine on Instagram.
