Ever Carradine and others remember Robert Carradine; ever carradine reflects on family loss
ever carradine and several cast members and relatives have shared memories following the death of Robert Carradine, who died at 71. His family said his death came after a long struggle with mental illness and asked for privacy as they grieve.
Ever Carradine's remembrance and message
Robert Carradine’s daughter, the actor Ever Carradine, appears in family remembrances and in anecdotes about life with her father. The family noted moments such as seeing her ride the family horse, Z-Tan, between their home and Runyon Canyon in the 1980s, a detail that underlined their close personal life in the Hollywood Hills.
Family statement and brother's quotes
The family issued a formal statement saying: “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. ”
Keith Carradine, Robert’s older brother, described his sibling as “profoundly gifted” and said: “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 also said he wanted people to know about Robert’s “valiant struggle” with bipolar disorder and that “there is no shame in it. ”
Bipolar disorder: types and stats
Family statements and coverage noted that Robert Carradine battled bipolar disorder for nearly two decades. Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, activity levels and concentration. There are three types listed: Bipolar I disorder, Bipolar II disorder and Cyclothymic disorder. Bipolar I is defined by manic episodes that last at least one week; manic episodes can include extreme increases in energy or euphoria, or alternatively feeling depressed or unusually irritable. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates 4. 4% of U. S. adults experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives, totaling about 11. 3 million people. Public mentions of lived experience with the condition have included celebrities such as Carrie Fisher, rapper Kanye "Ye" West, Selena Gomez and Halsey.
Career highlights, roles and films
Robert Carradine was best known for roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the Disney Channel sitcom Lizzie McGuire, in which he played the father of Hilary Duff’s character. Born on March 24, 1954, he was the youngest son of actor John Carradine and a brother of David Carradine, Keith Carradine and Christopher Carradine. He made his big-screen debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys after his brother David convinced him to audition by telling him he “had everything to gain, and nothing to lose. ”
He appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets and Hal Ashby’s Coming Home alongside Jane Fonda and Jon Voight. In 1980 he had two films at the Cannes Film Festival: Samuel Fuller’s The Big Red One, with Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin, and Walter Hill’s The Long Riders, in which Robert, Keith and David Carradine portrayed the Younger brothers. Walter Hill’s casting used real brothers across the film: Robert, Keith and David as the Younger brothers; 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. During that production David bought the movie horse Z-Tan, which later lived on Robert’s Hollywood Hills property. In 1984 he starred as Lewis Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerds opposite Anthony Edwards, a role that became one of his best-known.
Photos, locations and personal details
Robert Carradine attended numerous events over the years, with documented appearances including the premiere of the TNT television movie Monte Walsh on Jan. 8, 2003 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California; the SBIFF opening night film and gala Ask The Dust at the Arlington theater on Feb. 2, 2006 in Santa Barbara, California; the 18th annual Night of 100 Stars Gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Feb. 24, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California; a 2014 panel at New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javitz Center on Oct. 9, 2014 in New York City; a performance with Keith Carradine during the 24th and final A Night at Sardi’s to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 9, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California; the premiere of The Zookeeper’s Wife at ArcLight Hollywood on March 27, 2017 in Hollywood, California; and the 2023 AFI Fest screening of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Oct. 26, 2023 in Hollywood, California.
Coverage notes that he died by suicide and that he took his own life on a Monday; one confirmation of his death was given in a Feb. 24 statement and another report indicated confirmation late Monday, Feb. 23. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, brothers, nieces and nephews, and others who had the honor of having him in their lives, and the family has asked for privacy.
Castmates and relatives have posted long remembrances, with one daughter writing that growing up in the 1970s and 1980s with a single dad in Laurel Canyon left lasting memories: “I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back.... My dad was a lover, not a fighter. He was all heart. ” A niece described him as “the best one of all 8 brothers” and praised his kindness, decency and acting; a Lizzie McGuire co-star said the news “hurts” and expressed sadness that he was suffering; another castmate called him funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric, and above all family.
ever carradine’s appearance in family recollections and the family’s full statement underline both the personal grief and the wish to destigmatize mental illness.
Closing: Robert Carradine, born March 24, 1954, died at 71 after a long battle with bipolar disorder; his family and colleagues have shared detailed remembrances and asked for privacy as they grieve.
