Robert Carradine, the actor who starred in Lizzie McGuire and Revenge of the Nerds, has died at the age of 71, his family announced.
Carradine’s family confirmed his death in a statement to Deadline on Monday, noting that the actor “struggled for two decades with Bipolar Disorder.”
“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,” the family said in a statement.
“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.”
Carradine’s older brother, Keith, said the family wanted people to know about what he called his brother’s “valiant struggle with Bipolar Disorder.”
“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” he said. “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul. He was profoundly gifted, and 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.”
His actor brother, David, famous for Kung Fu and Kill Bill movies, died in 2009.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. These include emotional highs, also known as mania or hypomania, and lows, also known as depression. Hypomania is less extreme than mania, according to the Mayo Clinic.
According to the organization, bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, but you can manage your mood swings and other symptoms by following a treatment plan. In most cases, health-care professionals use medicines and talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, to treat bipolar disorder.
Carradine was remembered by his co-stars after news of his death spread. His Lizzie McGuire costar and TV daughter Hilary Duff posted condolences to social media.
“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,” Duff wrote on Instagram.
Jake Thomas, who played Carradine’s on-screen son in Lizzie McGuire, wrote, “My heart hurts today. I was fortunate to know Bobby for most of my life. And he was one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.”
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“He was a talented actor, musician, and director. But more than anything, he was family. I have many fond memories being with him and his family throughout my life. Good moments, challenging moments, and lots of laughs between,” Thomas wrote on Instagram. “I looked up to him growing up. And later in life, I came to realize he thought I was pretty neat, too. So I guess I was doing something right in his eyes.”
Lalaine, who played Lizzie McGuire‘s best friend Miranda Sanchez, wrote in a post, “It’s really not fair. I’m fu*ked up atm.. I am thankful tho. Thankful I had time with you, thankful for our last conversation, and your constant fatherly like support. I love you Bobby.”
Carradine’s daughter, Ever, paid tribute to her father on Instagram, writing, “My dad died today. My sweet, funny dad, who’s only 20 years older than I am, who never missed an opportunity to drive me to the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing, is gone.”
“Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad. I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back. I think it’s partly because we basically grew up together. Twenty years age difference really isn’t that much, and while I never ever thought of him as a sibling, I did always think of him as my partner. We were in it together.
“My dad was a lover, not a fighter. He was all heart, and in a world so full of conflict and division, I think we can all take a page out of his book today, open our hearts and feel and share the love.”
Actor Martha Plimpton, Carradine’s niece, shared a post on Instagram, writing, “My Uncle Bobby was the best one of all 8 brothers; blood, adopted, and step. Out of all of them, he was the absolute best.”
“Also, he was the best actor of the bunch. By a THOUSAND MILES. Don’t believe me? Just watch him. In The Cowboys, his first movie with John Wayne. Or in The Big Red One. Or in Coming Home. He’s honestly, in fact, the best actor of all of them.”
Carradine, the son of actor John Carradine, had more than 150 acting credits to his name and debuted on-screen with Wayne in 1972 in The Cowboys. He went on to appear in Martin Scorsese’s crime drama Mean Streets in 1973 and in the war drama Coming Home in 1978 with Jane Fonda and Jon Voight.
He also starred in the comedy franchise Revenge of the Nerds as Lewis Skolnick. He found newfound fame when he starred on the Disney Channel hit series Lizzie McGuire as the father, Sam, from 2001 to 2004 and in The Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003.
Carradine is survived by his children Ever, Marika and Ian. His family asks for privacy at this time.