Robert Carradine: robert carradine dies at age 71 after bipolar struggle
robert carradine has died at age 71, his family announced, saying he took his own life after a nearly two‑decade struggle with bipolar disorder. The family asked for privacy as they grieve and said they hoped his death would help address the stigma attached to mental illness.
Robert Carradine career highlights
Born on 24 March 1954, Robert Carradine was the youngest son of John Carradine and a brother of actors David and Keith Carradine and Disney Imagineer Christopher Carradine. He made his screen debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys; his brother David persuaded him to audition, telling him he "had everything to gain, and nothing to lose. " He followed that with a role in Hal Ashby’s Oscar‑winning film Coming Home alongside Jane Fonda and Jon Voight and a small part in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets in 1973, a film in which he shot his brother David on screen.
Films at Cannes and casting choices
In 1980 Carradine had two films at the Cannes Film Festival: Samuel Fuller’s semi‑autobiographical The Big Red One, with Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin, and Walter Hill’s The Long Riders, in which he appeared with his brothers David and Keith as the Younger brothers. Walter Hill cast real brothers to play real‑life outlaw brothers: Robert, Keith and David as the Youngers; James and Stacy Keach as Frank and Jesse James; Randy and Dennis Quaid as the Miller brothers; and Christopher and Nicholas Guest as the Ford brothers.
Revenge of the Nerds and later TV work
Perhaps his biggest commercial success came in 1984 with Revenge of the Nerds, where he played Lewis Skolnick alongside Anthony Edwards. Carradine spent time undercover at the University of Arizona convincing real students he was an actual nerd and later returned for three sequels in 1987, 1992 and 1994. He also became familiar to a younger generation as Sam McGuire, the father on Lizzie McGuire, appearing alongside Hilary Duff in 65 episodes between 2001 and 2004. His film credits later included work in Django Unchained in 2012.
Family statement and grief
The Carradine family released a statement saying, in part, that "it is with profound sadness" they share that their "beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away. " The family called Bobby "a beacon of light to everyone around him, " said they are "bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul, " and acknowledged his "valiant struggle against his nearly two‑decade battle with bipolar disorder. " They added that they hope his journey will encourage addressing the stigma around mental illness, asked for privacy to grieve, and closed with gratitude for understanding and compassion.
Bipolar disorder and personal tragedy
Keith Carradine, his older brother, described Robert as the "bedrock of his family" and said the family wanted people to know about his brother’s struggle with bipolar disorder. "We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it, " Keith 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. "
Personal life and legal disputes
Robert Carradine is survived by his children, grandchildren, brothers, nieces and nephews. He had a daughter, Ever Carradine, with Susan Snyder. He later married Edith Mani; they had two children, Marika and Ian, and divorced in 2015 after 25 years of marriage. During divorce proceedings in 2017, Edith Mani alleged Carradine had attempted to kill them both in a car crash in Colorado in 2015; Carradine admitted he was in a "psychotic sta"—unclear in the provided context.
Family history and earlier losses
His older half‑brother David Carradine died in 2009 aged 72 from asphyxiation in a hotel room in Thailand. Robert later said his mental illness was triggered by David’s death and that he was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During the shooting of The Long Riders, David fell in love with and bought his movie horse, Z‑Tan, which later lived on Robert’s property in the Hollywood Hills. In the 1980s, if you drove Mulholland Drive, you might have seen Ever Carradine riding Z‑Tan between their home and Runyon Canyon.
robert carradine leaves a long film and television legacy and a family that has asked for privacy as they grieve his loss.
