HOLLYWOOD—On February 23, the family of actor, Robert Carradine announced he passed away at 71.
“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine 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 privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion.”
Carradine played Lewis Skolnick, in the comedy, “Revenge of the Nerds.” It was 1972, when he first starred in “Cowboys.”
He was also known as Sam McGuire, the TV dad to Hillary Duff in “Lizzie McGuire,” that aired on Disney.
“This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend. There was so much warmth in the McGuire family, and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him,” posted Duff on X.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis posted the following message on Instagram:
“I woke up to the news that Robert Carradine died. I met him live on television on the Dinah Shore show when they had a bunch of second-generation actors [on]. Bobby and I came on last and Bobby rearranged where we were all sitting so that he could sit next to me and he kissed me, live on television.”
She added: “Caradine’s Corvette on Mulholland Drive overlooking LA and the San Fernando Valley, one which came with a striking realization. Bobby was a racecar driver, and he drove fast and furious in a Corvette on Mulholland. It’s a miracle we weren’t killed. One day I remember the sun hitting his face and me turning and looking at him and saying, ‘Wait, were you in the movie, “The Cowboys? Were you Slim? He was my first crush in the movies, and I didn’t realize it.”
Carradine leaves behind his wife, Edie Mani, whom he married in 1990, and brothers David, Keith, Bruce, Christopher, Michael Bowen, and his children, Ever Carradine, Marcia Reed Carradine, and Ian Alexander Carradine.
Keith indicated that it was the family’s hope to educate the public on the struggle of living with bipolar disorder.
