Robert Carradine, star of Lizzie Mcguire and Revenge of the Nerds, dies at 71 after long battle with bipolar disorder

Robert Carradine, who played the father on lizzie mcguire and owned a decades-long film career that included Revenge of the Nerds and The Long Riders, has died at 71. His family says his death was the culmination of a nearly two-decade struggle with bipolar disorder and that he took his own life; his brother Keith Carradine confirmed the news in a Feb. 24 statement.

Family statement, cause and immediate requests

The family described Carradine as a beloved father, grandfather, uncle and brother and said he had been "a beacon of light" to those around him while battling bipolar disorder for nearly 20 years. They asked for privacy to grieve and expressed gratitude for understanding and compassion. In remarks attributed to his older brother Keith Carradine, the family emphasized the actor’s "valiant struggle" with bipolar disorder and urged that there be no shame in acknowledging the illness.

Lizzie McGuire, Revenge of the Nerds and other career milestones

Carradine’s credits ranged from television to a steady string of films. He was known to younger audiences as the on-screen dad to Hilary Duff in Lizzie Mcguire and to an earlier generation as Lewis Skolnick in the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds. He also appeared in The Long Riders and made his big‑screen debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys. Later film appearances included Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets and the Oscar‑winning Coming Home with Jane Fonda and Jon Voight.

Festival runs, family casting and a Hollywood horse

In 1980 Carradine had two films at the Cannes Film Festival: The Big Red One, which featured Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin, and Walter Hill’s The Long Riders, in which Robert, Keith and David Carradine were cast as the Younger brothers. That production deliberately paired real brothers — James and Stacy Keach played Frank and Jesse James, Randy and Dennis Quaid played the Miller brothers, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest played the Ford brothers. During shooting, David Carradine bought a movie horse named Z‑Tan; that horse later lived on Robert Carradine’s property in the Hollywood Hills, and his daughter Ever Carradine rode Z‑Tan between their home and Runyon Canyon in the 1980s.

Cast and family memories

Castmates and relatives shared memories of Carradine’s warmth, humor and talent. His daughter reflected on growing up in the 1970s and 1980s with a single dad in Laurel Canyon, saying she always knew her father loved her and that he had her back, calling him "a lover, not a fighter. " A niece described him as the best of eight brothers — blood, adopted and step — and recalled he cuddled her when she first visited her father in Los Angeles at 8 or 9 years old, calling him the best actor of the bunch "by a THOUSAND MILES. " A co‑star from Lizzie McGuire wrote that there had been "so much warmth in the McGuire family" and that she was "deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering, " adding that her heart aches for him and his family. Another Lizzie McGuire castmate remembered Carradine as funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, a talented actor, musician and director, and above all family; that castmate said they had looked up to him and later realized he thought they were "pretty neat, too. " Keith Carradine said Robert was "profoundly gifted" and that the family will miss him every day, taking solace in how funny, wise, accepting and tolerant he was.

Bipolar disorder explained and resources

The family called attention to Carradine’s battle with bipolar disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health defines bipolar disorder as a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and concentration. It notes three types of the condition — Bipolar I disorder, Bipolar II disorder and Cyclothymic disorder. Bipolar I is marked by manic episodes that last at least one week; manic episodes are described as prolonged periods of mood instability in which a person can experience extreme increases in energy or euphoria, or alternatively feel depressed or unusually irritable. The institute estimates that 4. 4% of U. S. adults experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives, totaling about 11. 3 million people. Public figures who have spoken about living with bipolar disorder include Carrie Fisher, rapper Kanye "Ye" West, Selena Gomez and Halsey. For anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts or crisis, immediate help is available by calling 988 or by texting 741741 to reach confidential support.

Public appearances and recent events

• Attended the premiere of the TNT television movie Monte Walsh on Jan. 8, 2003, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.
• Appeared at the SBIFF opening night film and gala Ask The Dust on Feb. 2, 2006, at the Arlington theater in Santa Barbara, California.
• Attended the 18th annual Night of 100 Stars Gala on Feb. 24, 2008, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
• Joined a King of the Nerds panel at New York Comic Con on Oct. 9, 2014, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
• Appeared at the 24th and final A Night at Sardi’s to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association on March 9, 2016, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
• Attended the premiere of The Zookeeper’s Wife on March 27, 2017, at ArcLight Hollywood in Hollywood, California.
• Appeared at the 2023 AFI Fest screening of Pee‑Wee’s Big Adventure on Oct. 26, 2023, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Robert Carradine was born on March 24, 1954, the youngest son of actor John Carradine and a brother to David Carradine, Keith Carradine and Disney Imagineer Christopher Carradine. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, brothers, nieces and nephews. The family has asked for privacy as they grieve.