Robert Carradine, Revenge of the Nerds Star, Dead at 71

Robert Carradine, who starred in the ’80s comedy franchise Revenge of the Nerds and later played Hilary Duff’s father on Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71.

His brother, Keith Carradine, told Deadline that Robert took his own life after struggling with bipolar disorder for two decades. “We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness,” his family said in a statement.

Carradine’s resume was littered with high-profile collaborations: his film debut was in 1972’s The Cowboys starring John Wayne, which he followed up a year later with a role in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets. He appeared opposite his half-brother David Carradine in Cannonball, was cast alongside Jane Vonda and Jon Voight in the Oscar-winning Vietnam film Coming Home, and teamed up with Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin in Sam Fueller’s World War 2 epic The Big Red One. He also joined his brothers Robert and Keith in portraying the Younger brothers in The Long Riders.

However, Carradine’s breakout role came as Lewis Skolnick, head nerd in 1984’s Revenge of the Nerds. He went on to reprise the character in three sequels.

In the early 2000s, Carradine landed the role of Sam McGuire, the father of Hilary Duff’s titular character on the hit Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire. Duff was one of the first to pay tribute to Carradine following news of his passing, writing: “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. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.”