Robert Carradine dies aged 71 after long bipolar struggle; David Carradine’s 2009 death cited as trigger

Robert Carradine, the actor best known as Lewis Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerds and as Sam McGuire on Lizzie McGuire, has died at 71 after taking his own life, his family said. The announcement highlights his nearly two-decade struggle with bipolar disorder and the family’s plea to reduce stigma around mental illness.

Family statement and Keith Carradine’s remarks

The Carradine family released a statement describing him as a beloved father, grandfather, uncle and brother and asked for privacy to grieve. They said they wanted to acknowledge his "valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder" and that they hoped his journey would "shine a light" and encourage addressing stigma attached to mental illness.

Keith Carradine, Robert’s older brother, emphasized that the family wanted people to know about the actor’s mental illness and that "there is no shame in it, " praising Robert as "profoundly gifted, " funny, wise and accepting in his character.

David Carradine and family history

Robert was born in 1954 as the youngest son of actor John Carradine and had two older half-brothers, David and Bruce, from his father’s first marriage, and two older brothers, Keith and Christopher. All but Christopher worked in acting in some capacity. In 2009 his older half-brother David died at 72 from asphyxiation in a hotel room in Thailand, an event Robert later said triggered his own mental-health decline and eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

In recounting the family history, the name david carradine appears as a defining emotional turning point for Robert’s health, the family indicated.

Career milestones: The Cowboys, Mean Streets, The Long Riders and Revenge of the Nerds

Carradine made his film debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys, followed by a role in the Oscar-winning Coming Home and a small part in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets in 1973, in which his character shot his brother, David. In 1980 he appeared with David and Keith in The Long Riders portraying the Younger brothers; that film also featured performances from Randy and Dennis Quaid as the Miller brothers, Stacy and James Keach as Frank and Jesse James, and Christopher Carradine alongside Nicholas Guest as the Ford brothers.

His biggest mainstream success came in 1984 with the comedy Revenge of the Nerds, in which he played Lewis Skolnick. He reportedly spent time undercover at the University of Arizona convincing students he was an actual nerd and returned for three sequels released in 1987, 1992 and 1994.

Lizzie McGuire, 65 episodes and the 2003 feature film

To a younger generation, Carradine was best known as Sam McGuire, the father on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire. He appeared in all 65 episodes of the show between 2001 and 2004 and also appeared in the 2003 feature film tied to the series.

Co-stars paid public tribute. Hilary Duff wrote that it was "really hard to face this reality about an old friend, " recalling the warmth of the on-screen family and saying she was "deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him. " Jake Thomas, who played Lizzie’s brother Matt, posted that "my head hurts today" and called Carradine one of the coolest people he had known—funny, pragmatic, occasionally cranky and always a little eccentric.

Personal life, children, marriage, and legal claims

Carradine is survived by three children named in public notices as Ever Carradine, Marika (also referenced as Marica Reed in some notices) and Ian (also referenced as Ian Alexander), as well as grandchildren, brothers, nephews and nieces, including Martha Plimpton.

He had a daughter, Ever Carradine, with Susan Snyder. He later married Edith Mani; the couple had two children, Marika and Ian, and divorced in 2015 after 25 years of marriage. During divorce proceedings in 2017, Mani alleged that Carradine had attempted to kill them both in a car crash in Colorado in 2015. The public record shows Carradine admitted he was in a "psychotic sta"—unclear in the provided context—during that episode.

Cause, effect and legacy

The family linked Carradine’s suicide to a long fight with bipolar disorder spanning roughly two decades and framed their announcement as an effort to raise awareness and reduce stigma. What makes this notable is how the family tied a specific trauma—the 2009 death of his half-brother david carradine—to the onset of his illness, establishing a clear cause-and-effect thread between bereavement, diagnosis and years of struggle.

As colleagues and fans react, the family’s request for privacy and their stated hope that his story will encourage more open discussion about mental health have become central to the public response to his death.