Robert Carradine, the veteran actor best known for playing dorky underdog Lewis Skolnick in “Revenge of the Nerds” and the warmhearted father Sam McGuire on Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire,” has died. He was 71.
Carradine’s brother, actor Keith Carradine, confirmed his death to USA TODAY on Tuesday, Feb. 24, saying Carradine died by suicide.
“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,” the family said in a statement. “In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon of 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.”
Deadline was first to report the news. The family asked for privacy as they grieve the “unfathomable loss.”
Here’s what to know about Carradine and his deep ties to California.
Actor Robert Carradine attends the premiere of Focus Features’ “The Zookeeper’s Wife” at ArcLight Hollywood on March 27, 2017, in Hollywood.
A California-rooted Hollywood legacy
Born into one of Hollywood’s most storied acting families, Carradine was the son of legendary character actor John Carradine and the brother of actors David and Keith Carradine. While his work spanned decades and genres, Carradine’s career was deeply intertwined with California’s entertainment industry, from classic Westerns to blockbuster studio films and beloved television series.
Carradine began acting in 1971 with a guest appearance on “Bonanza,” a staple of California-produced television. He soon landed a role as Slim in the 1972 John Wayne Western “The Cowboys,” followed by its short-lived television spinoff.
Throughout the 1970s, Carradine steadily built a résumé that reflected Hollywood’s evolving storytelling, appearing in the Oscar-winning “Coming Home.” By the end of the decade, he had amassed nearly two dozen screen credits.
Breakout roles and pop-culture impact
Carradine gained wider recognition in 1980 starring as outlaw Bob Younger in “The Long Riders,” appearing alongside brothers Keith and David as members of the James-Younger gang. That same year, he portrayed Private Zab in Samuel Fuller’s war epic “The Big Red One.”
His most iconic role arrived in 1984 with “Revenge of the Nerds,” where Carradine’s portrayal of earnest, bespectacled Lewis Skolnick helped cement the “nerd” as a recognizable and sympathetic cultural identity. The film’s success spawned three sequels, firmly embedding Carradine in 1980s pop culture.
Between sequels, Carradine remained a familiar presence on television, guest-starring on series including “Monte Carlo,” “ER,” “Lois & Clark,” “NYPD Blue” and “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues,” which starred his brother David. His later film work included “Escape from L.A.” (1996).
America’s TV dad on ‘Lizzie McGuire’
A new generation came to know Carradine in 2001 when he starred as Sam McGuire, the corny but deeply loving father on Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire,” opposite Hilary Duff. Carradine reprised the role in the 2003 feature film and again for the short-lived 2020 reboot.
Duff paid tribute on Instagram Tuesday, writing that her “heart aches” following the news.
Hilary Duff pays tribute to late ‘Lizzie McGuire’ producer Stan Rogow: ‘A very special person’
“This one hurts,” she wrote. “There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. … I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.”
Jake Thomas, who played Lizzie’s younger brother Matt, called Carradine “family,” remembering him as “funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.”
Beyond acting: music, racing and resilience
According to his official obituary, Carradine had a lifelong love of music, playing guitar in performances at Colorado’s Sheridan Opera House alongside brothers Keith and David, despite having no formal musical training.
He was also passionate about auto racing, competing at the Grand Prix level in the late 1980s and 1990s. “Carradine always said that race car driving was his true love because winning a race meant that no one was better than him,” the obituary noted.
In 2015, Carradine and his then-wife, Edith Mani, survived a serious head-on car collision in Colorado that authorities said could have been fatal without seatbelts. The couple later divorced.
Tributes from family and colleagues
Actor Ever Carradine, Robert Carradine’s daughter, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, remembering her father as a steady and loving presence who raised her as a single parent.
“Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad,” she wrote.
His niece, “The Goonies” actress Martha Plimpton, called Carradine “the best one” among his famous siblings, praising his kindness and decency.
Carradine amassed more than 140 screen credits over his career, with his most recent appearing in the 2026 indie horror-comedy “Skate to Hell.”
He is survived by daughters Marika and Ever Carradine, and son Ian Carradine.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘Revenge of the Nerds,’ ‘Lizzie McGuire’ actor Robert Carradine dead
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