Robert Carradine Dies by Suicide at 71
The star of the 'Revenge of the Nerds' series was a beloved member of a Hollywood dynasty
February 24, 2026
Robert Carradine, an actor whose career stretched back to 1971, died at 71 Monday after battling bipolar disorder. Tragically, Carradine took his own life.
In a statement, his family said:
“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. 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.”
In 2017, his wife Edith accused Carradine in court of trying to himself and her in a 2015 car crash, noting he’d been depressed since the sensationalized death of his older half-brother David Carradine in 2009. The Kung-Fu actor died by auto-erotic asphyxiation in Thailand.
Robert was one of many actors in his famous family. His dad was character actor John Carradine (1906-1988), a Cecil B. DeMille regular who distinguished himself in everything from westerns to Shakespeare.
His brother Keith Carradine, 76, is known for films including Nashville and the TV series Deadwood, and Keith’s daughter is Gen X icon Martha Plimpton, 55; his half-brother Christopher Carradine, 69, is an Disney Imagineer; and his daughter is TV star Ever Carradine, 51.
Robert was born March 24, 1954, in L.A.
He made his TV debut on an episode of Bonanza (1971), also appearing on his brother’s hit series Kung Fu (1972).
In 1972, he acted opposite John Wayne, Bruce Dern and Roscoe Lee Browne in The Cowboys, which was briefly spun off into a series (1974).
Robert excelled in a wide variety of films, including Scorsese’s searing Mean Streets (1973) and the gutting Vietnam War drama Coming Home (1978); goofy flicks like Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976) and Massacre at Central High (1976); the nostalgic Joyride (1977) with fellow second-generation Hollywood kids Desi Arnaz Jr., Melanie Griffith and Anne Lockhart; and the killer killer whale horror film Orca (1977).
In a feat never accomplished in any other movie, the Carradines (Robert, Keith and David) acted with no fewer than three other sets of Hollywood brothers in 1980’s The Long Riders — Stacy and James Keach; Dennis and Randy Quaid; and Christopher and Nicholas Guest.
What set Robert apart was his comic timing, which shone through as Lewis in Revenge of the Nerds (1984). The raunchy hit raked in more than $40M at the U.S. box office, enough to warrant three sequels, all of which featured him. He exec-produced the last one, in 1994.
Some of his other features: Just the Way You Are (1984), Rude Awakening (1989), The Player (1992), The Tommyknockers (1993), Firestorm (1997), Ghosts of Mars (2001), Max Keeble’s Big Move (2001), and 2003’s The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
The latter capitalized on his greatest TV success, playing the dad on Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004) for 65 episodes. The series, which made Hilary Duff a household name, wound up winning him a generation of new fans.
Lucrative, it was not! Carradine wryly shared an image of a $0.00 residual check from the show.
Carradine’s official obituary lists survivors as his three children, his brothers, his nieces and his nephews. ⚡️
Rest In Peace