Robert Carradine, the actor, has died at 71.
Life and career
Robert Reed Carradine ( KARR-ə-deen; March 24, 1954 – February 23, 2026) was an American actor. He made his first appearances in television Western series, such as Bonanza and his brother David’s television series, Kung Fu. Carradine starred as Lewis Skolnick in teen comedy film series Revenge of the Nerds and Sam McGuire in Disney Channel sitcom series Lizzie McGuire.
He was a member of Carradine family dynasty, which began with his father, John Carradine.
Early life
Robert Reed Carradine was born on March 24, 1954, in the city of Los Angeles, to actress and artist Sonia Sorel (née Henius) and actor John Carradine. He is one of many actors in Carradine family. His full brothers are Christopher and Keith Carradine. He also had his two paternal half-brothers, Bruce Carradine and David Carradine, and a maternal half-brother named Michael Bowen. Carradine was also an uncle of actress Martha Plimpton. His maternal great-grandfather Max Henius, was a biochemist, and his maternal great-grandmother was the sister of historian Johan Ludvig Heiberg.
Carradine’s parents divorced when he was two. A bitter custody dispute ended with his father, gaining custody of him and his two older brothers, Christopher and Keith. During the proceedings, three sons spent three months in a home for abused children as wards of the court. His older brother, Keith, later recalled the experience: “It was like being in jail. There were bars on the windows, and we were only allowed to see our parents through glass doors. It was very sad. We would stand there on either side of the glass door crying”.
He was raised primarily by his stepmother, his father’s third wife, Doris Grimshaw, and believed she was his mother until he met Sonia Sorel at a Christmas party when he was 14. While still in high school, he lived with his half-brother David in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. Under David’s care, he pursued two of his major interests: race-car driving and music. He and David performed together in a musical quartet that played small clubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Career
Film
Carradine made his film debut in 1972 in The Cowboys, starring John Wayne. He also appeared in a short‑lived television series of the same name based on the film. He later played a killer in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, shooting the character portrayed by his brother David.
During this period, he worked with David on several independent projects, including the biker film You and Me (1975) and an unreleased musical titled A Country Mile. He also did camera work for David’s Vietnam War-inspired film Americana, which was not released until 1983.
In 1976, Carradine had the chance to demonstrate what he described as his “first ambition”, car racing, when he played Jim Cantrell in Paul Bartel’s Cannonball. His character wins the cross-country road race, beating the favorite, Coy “Cannonball” Buckman, played by David. In 1977, Robert appeared in the killer-whale thriller Orca.
Carradine joined other Hollywood offspring in 1977 film Joyride, starring alongside Desi Arnaz Jr., Melanie Griffith, and Anne Lockhart in a story about young Californians traveling to Washington and Alaska to seek their fortunes. In 1978, he landed a role in Hal Ashby’s Oscar-winning Vietnam War drama Coming Home, starring Jane Fonda and Jon Voight. His performance led to speculation declaring him the strongest actor in the Carradine family.
Carradine played a key role in assembling one of the most unusual casting ensembles in film history when he and his two brothers David and Keith portrayed the Younger brothers in The Long Riders (1980), alongside three other sets of acting brothers: Stacy and James Keach, Dennis and Randy Quaid, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest.
Also in 1980, he co-starred with Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin in Samuel Fuller’s The Big Red One, a World War II drama based on Fuller’s own experiences. Carradine’s character, modeled on Fuller, narrates the film.
In 1983, he starred opposite Cherie Currie of the Runaways in the science fiction film Wavelength, playing a washed‑up rock musician who helps extraterrestrials escape from a military base. He performed several of his own compositions for the film, including one named after his daughter Ever. That same year, he appeared as the love interest in the Motels’ music video for the song “Suddenly Last Summer.”
In 1984, he starred as Lewis Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerds, becoming one of his most successful roles. To prepare for the role, he spent time at the University of Arizona during rush week; no fraternity selected him, reinforcing his sense that he was right for the part. He reprised the role in three sequels, serving as executive producer on the latter two.
In 2000, Carradine co-starred with Caroline Rhea in Disney Channel Original Movie Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire. In 2001, while appearing in Lizzie McGuire, he portrayed Max’s father Donald Keeble in Max Keeble’s Big Move. In 2003, he reprised his role as Sam McGuire in Disney’s teen comedy film The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
Television
Carradine’s first television appearance came in 1971, such as in Western series Bonanza. Later, he appeared in his brother David’s series Kung Fu as Sunny Jim, the mute companion of Serenity Johnson, played by their father, John Carradine, in the 1972 episode “Dark Angel”. In 1979, he appeared alongside Melissa Sue Anderson in The Survival of Dana. In 1984, he portrayed Robert Cohn in the television miniseries adaption of Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. He also appeared in the 1987 HBO miniseries Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8. Carradine guest-starred in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode “Gone” (2005), playing a character loosely based on Bobby Fischer, and appeared in the television series Jane Doe, directed by James A. Contner, in 2007.
From 2001 to 2004, Carradine portrayed as father Sam McGuire in Disney Channel sitcom series Lizzie McGuire, starring with Hallie Todd, Hilary Duff, and Jake Thomas. This series is widely popular among young viewers, and its realistic portrayal of adolescent issues also appealed to parents. Later, he appeared in ER episode “Sleepless in Chicago” alongside his Revenge of the Nerds co-star Anthony Edwards.
In January 2013, Carradine reunited with Revenge of the Nerds co-star Curtis Armstrong to host King of the Nerds on TBS, a reality competition series. In 2015, he appeared on a fourth-season episode of Celebrity Wife Swap with Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens.
Personal life
Carradine had three children. His eldest daughter, Ever Carradine, was born in 1974, with Susan Snyder. Ever is also an actress, known for her roles in The Handmaid’s Tale and Runaways. In 1990, Carradine married Edith “Edie” Mani, and they had two children together, Marika and Ian. The couple filed to divorce in 2015, after a 25 year marriage, and three years later finalizing themselves.
Mental health problems and death
Carradine was diagnosed with bipolar disorder two decades before his death. A statement from Carradine’s family, as paraphrased by USA Today, said his death was “the culmination of a longtime battle with mental illness”.
In 2015, Carradine and his then-wife, Edith, were injured in a car crash in Colorado. In the aftermath of the accident, Robert was issued a citation and was ordered to pay a fine. Edith alleged in divorce court documents that Carradine had confessed to intentionally driving into the truck in a murder-suicide attempt, and that his bipolar disorder worsened after he became depressed following the death of his half-brother David Carradine.
Before his death, Carradine had reportedly missed a table read for an upcoming project. His older brother, Keith, stated that it was an “illness that got the best of him”.
On February 23, 2026, Carradine was found dead after checking into UCLA’s Resnick Psychiatric Hospital on January 16. He had been admitted at the facility for over a month before staff found him in cardiac arrest after a suicide attempt, at age 71. His cause and manner of death was ruled as suicide by hanging, as confirmed by People Magazine as well as Los Angeles Medical Examiner.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- Robert Carradine at the Internet Broadway Database
- Robert Carradine at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
- Robert Carradine at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
- Robert Carradine Producer Profile for The 1 Second Film