Robert Carradine, 'Revenge of the Nerds' and 'Lizzie McGuire' star, dies
at 71
[February 25, 2026]
By LINDSEY BAHR
Robert Carradine, the youngest of his prolific Hollywood family and
whose biggest hit was the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds,” has died
at 71.
In a Tuesday statement, his family said he lived with bipolar disorder
for two decades. His brother told Deadline that Carradine died by
suicide.
“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” Keith
Carradine told Deadline. “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.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or
someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in
the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
___
Known for both his film and television work, Robert Carradine worked
steadily in the industry for over 40 years. Though he collaborated with
some of the most respected directors of the day, he never gained the
worldwide recognition of his more famous siblings Keith Carradine (also
the father of Martha Plimpton) and half-brother David Carradine, who
died in 2009.
Robert Carradine, a Los Angeles native and son to character actor John
Carradine, was introduced to audiences with roles on the television
series “Bonanza” in 1971 and in the John Wayne Western “The Cowboys” in
1972.
Despite his family background, acting wasn't his first calling, though.
“I always had a passion to be a race car driver, and that’s what I
thought I was going to do, and at some penultimate moment … I think I
was sitting with my brother David when ‘The Cowboys’ was being cast, and
they were interested in David as the bad guy, and he didn’t want to be
the guy that shot John Wayne in the back,” Carradine recalled in a 2013
interview with Popdose. “But he said, ‘You know, it is called The
Cowboys, and they’re meeting all these young guys. Why don’t you go
in?’”
In addition to starring in a short-lived television spinoff of “The
Cowboys,” and appearing alongside David Carradine in his popular ABC
series “Kung Fu,” he would go on to nab roles in Martin Scorsese’s “Mean
Streets,” Hal Ashby’s Vietnam drama “Coming Home,” and Samuel Fuller’s
World War II film “The Big Red One.”
The heights of his brother David's success eluded Robert Carradine, but
the two could often be seen in the same projects, including in Walter
Hill’s “The Long Riders” and Paul Bartel’s “Cannonball.”
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Robert Carradine, left, and Curtis Armstrong, co-hosts of the game
show "King of the Nerds" appear at the TNT and TBS 2013 Upfront in
New York on May 15, 2013. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
 Robert Carradine’s biggest hit would
come in 1984 with the off-color comedy “Revenge of the Nerds,” in
which he played head nerd Lewis Skolnick, with his abrupt,
infectious and guttural laugh. He reprised the role for the
big-screen sequel and two made-for-television follow-ups, and
continued to pay homage to the beloved character with a guest role
on the series “Robot Chicken” and as a co-host (with “Revenge of the
Nerds” co-star Curtis Armstrong) of the pop culture competition show
“King of the Nerds,” which aired for three seasons.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, according to the family statement,
Carradine realized his racing ambitions and was a driver for Lotus.
In the 2000s, Carradine gained small-screen success in The Disney
Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire” as the eponymous character’s father.
“It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend,” Hilary
Duff, who played Lizzie McGuire, wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Work remained consistent even if the projects diminished in prestige
and quality. Then Quentin Tarantino, ever the champion of fading
character actors, cast Carradine in “Django Unchained” as one of the
trackers in the 2012 film after seeing a “very furry” photograph, as
Carradine told Popdose.
In 2015, Carradine was cited for a Colorado crash that injured him
and his wife, Edith Mani. They later divorced, after more than 25
years of marriage.
Carradine's survivors include his three children, actor Ever
Carradine, Marika Reed Carradine and Ian Alexander Carradine.
“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,” Ever Carradine wrote
on Instagram. “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.”
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