To prepare for his role on the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds,” Robert Carradine spent two weeks wearing “nerd clothes,” a wig and glasses everywhere he went.
This included heading to fraternity row at the University of Arizona during rush week while in character with a fellow actor. They asked the head of a fraternity if they could join.
“The guy took one look at us and said, ‘No way,’ ” Carradine recalled in 1990. “By the time the first day of shooting rolled around, I was in full flight as a nerd.”
Carradine, who played Lewis Skolnick, the king of the college nerds with a signature laugh, in the “Revenge of the Nerds” movie franchise, has died. He was 71.
In a Monday statement to Deadline, Carradine’s family said he struggled with bipolar disorder and 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. In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon [of] light to everyone around him,” the statement said. “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.”
The youngest of a prolific Hollywood family, Carradine’s siblings include actors David and Keith and architect Christopher, of Walt Disney Imagineering. David Carradine died in 2009 at age 72. Their brother Bruce, who died in 2016, was also an actor.
Keith Carradine told Deadline that his family wanted everyone to know about Robert’s struggle with bipolar disorder.
“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” he told the outlet. “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.”
The youngest son of prolific character actor John Carradine, Robert Carradine was born on March 24, 1954, in Los Angeles. Known for both his film and television work, Carradine made his debut in a 1971 episode of the long-running western “Bonanza.” His first film appearance was in the 1972 John Wayne western “The Cowboys.”
During his 50-year Hollywood career, he appeared alongside his brother David in a 1972 episode of “Kung Fu” and the 1973 Martin Scorsese film “Mean Streets.” David, Keith and Robert joined other sets of acting siblings to portray sets of real-life siblings in the 1980 Western “The Long Riders.” Carradine also landed roles in Hal Ashby’s 1978 Vietman War drama “Coming Home” and Samuel Fuller’s 1980 World War II epic “The Big Red One.”
While Carradine found success in the family business, he also had a love for racing.
“There are certain people who are supposed to be race car drivers,” Carradine told The Times in 1991. “And I’ve got that. I’ve got that thing that makes me have to race. I have to do it.”
At the time he was balancing both careers, racing at the Grand Prix level in a Lotus Esprit Turbo SE. But it was clear he would have chosen racing over acting if he could.
“The thing about racing that appeals to me is your destiny is in your own hands at that moment,” Carradine said. “I won a race in the Lotus at Road America, and I won it. And that’s it. You can’t do better.”
In the 2000s, Carradine charmed a new generation of fans as lovable TV dad Sam in “Lizzie McGuire.”
“There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents,” the show’s star Hilary Duff wrote in her Instagram tribute to her on-screen dad. “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.”
Jake Thomas, who portrayed Lizzie’s brother Matt on the show, said he “looked up” to Carradine, who he’s known for most of his life.
“My heart hurts today,” Thomas wrote in his Instagram tribute. “[H]e was one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric. He was a talented actor, musician, and director. But more than anything, he was family.”
Carradine is survived by his three children — actor Ever Carradine, Marika Reed Carradine and Ian Alexander Carradine — as well as his brothers, nieces (including actor Martha Plimpton), nephews and grandchildren, according to Deadline.
In her tribute to her father, Ever Carradine described him as a “sweet, funny dad” and “the guy that’s always there.”
“Growing up in the 70s and 80 with a single dad in Laurel Canyon is not exactly the recipe for a grounded childhood, but somehow mine was,” Carradine wrote on Instagram. “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.”
“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,” she added.
