Robert Carradine, a member of a Hollywood acting family who starred as a dorky college student in the film “Revenge of the Nerds” and portrayed the well-meaning and sometimes goofy father in the Disney series “Lizzie McGuire,” has died at 71.
His death was confirmed by a family statement provided late Monday by Oren Segal, a representative of Mr. Carradine’s brother Keith. The family, which did not say when or where Mr. Carradine had died, said that he had struggled with bipolar disorder for years.
“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 the illness, the statement said. “We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.”
Mr. Carradine was born into a family of actors and made his big-screen debut in 1972 in the Western film “The Cowboys.” His half brother David Carradine, who was the star of the 1970s television series “Kung Fu” and the title villain of the “Kill Bill” movies, convinced him to audition for the role.
Robert Carradine went on to forge his own acting career. While he did not reach superstardom, he cultivated a long-lasting career spanning five decades, appearing in several award-winning films and, later on, cementing his status in pop culture.
He starred in the 1980 films “The Big Red One” and “The Long Riders,” both of which were featured at the Cannes Film Festival. In the latter film, he appeared with his real family members, David and Keith Carradine, portraying siblings. Robert Carradine appeared in “Coming Home” in 1978, which won three Academy Awards.
Robert Carradine’s biggest film success, the family said, came with the seminal 1984 cult comedy film “Revenge of the Nerds,” in which he portrayed Lewis Skolnick, one of the protagonists.
The role broke with his established type, he said in a 2025 episode of “Party Nerds Pop-Cast,” a podcast he hosted with the Hollywood actor, director and producer Richard Gabai. After playing rougher characters in Westerns, Mr. Carradine portrayed a nerd.
“We had an incredible time making the film,” Mr. Carradine said in an interview in October. “It was a lot of fun. And I think that the camera records how you actually feel, and the fact that we were on fire, for lack of a better phrase, the camera recorded that.”
Later, he found a new generation of fans while playing Sam McGuire, the father in the “Lizzie McGuire” series, one of Disney’s top shows in the 2000s. Mr. Carradine described the show’s success as a “godsend” in a 2013 interview.
“I’ve had a few people come up to me and say, ‘Our daughter can’t believe that Lizzie McGuire’s dad is hosting “King of the Nerds!”’” he said, referring to a reality competition series inspired by the “Revenge of the Nerds” films that he hosted in the 2010s.
Hilary Duff, who portrayed the title character in “Lizzie McGuire,” said on social media on Monday night that she “felt so cared for by my on-screen parents” and that Mr. Carradine was an old friend. “I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering,” she added.
Robert Carradine was born on March 24, 1954, the youngest son of the prolific character actor John Carradine and the actress Sonia Sorel. Besides his brother Keith and half brothers David and Bruce Carradine, also actors, his brother Christopher Carradine became an architect before specializing in developing theme parks at Disney.
But Robert Carradine initially did not want to be an actor, instead dreaming of becoming a racecar driver. When he was offered a role in “The Cowboys” at 16, “all I wanted to do was drive racecars, had no interest in the acting profession whatsoever,” he said in another interview in October.
What convinced him was David Carradine’s advice that he had “everything to gain and nothing to lose,” Mr. Carradine said.
He went on to become a professional racecar driver. He was also a guitarist and owned about 12 collectible guitars, he said in an interview in 2022.
In 1974, Robert Carradine had a daughter, Ever Carradine, with Susan Snyder. Ever would go on to have a television career as an actress, appearing in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” He raised Ever Carradine as a single father until 1990, when he married Edith Mani. They had two more children, Marika and Ian. Robert Carradine and Ms. Mani divorced in 2018.
His survivors include his children, grandchildren, brothers, nieces and nephews, his family said.
John Yoon is a Times reporter based in Seoul who covers breaking and trending news.
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