Actor Robert Carradine dies at 71 after long struggle with bipolar disorder

Robert Carradine, the American actor widely recognised for his roles in the 1980s comedy franchise ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ and the Disney Channel series ‘Lizzie McGuire’, has died at the age of 71. In a statement released shortly after his death, his family confirmed that Carradine took his own life following a nearly two-decade struggle with bipolar disorder. They said they chose to disclose the cause of death to help combat the stigma surrounding mental illness and to encourage open conversations about it.

Carradine was born on 24 March 1954 into a prominent acting family. He was the youngest son of actor John Carradine and the brother of actors David and Keith Carradine. Encouraged by his brother David, he began his film career with a role in the 1972 John Wayne film ‘The Cowboys.’ Over the years, he built a diverse acting résumé, appearing in notable films such as Martin Scorsese’s ‘Mean Streets’ (1973), the Oscar-winning ‘Coming Home’ (1978) alongside Jane Fonda, ‘The Long Riders’ (1980), ‘The Big Red One’ (1980), and Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’ (2012).

He was best known, however, for portraying Lewis Skolnick, the central character in ‘Revenge of the Nerds,’ which became one of the defining comedy franchises of the 1980s. A new generation came to know him as the caring father of the title character in ‘Lizzie McGuire,’ where he starred opposite Hilary Duff. Duff paid tribute to him on social media, expressing deep sadness and gratitude for the warmth he brought to the set.

Carradine’s family described him as a loving father, grandfather, and brother, and as someone who brought light and humour to those around him. They expressed hope that sharing his story would help reduce stigma and inspire greater understanding of mental health challenges.