Robert Carradine, Lizzie McGuire And Revenge Of The Nerds Star, Dead At 71

Robert Carradine, who became a household name starring as Lewis Skolnick in the "Revenge of the Nerds" film series and was reintroduced to a younger generation as the father on "Lizzie McGuire," has died. He was 71 years old. "It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away," the actor's family said in a statement issued to Deadline.

While no cause of death was mentioned by the family directly, Deadline reported that Carradine died by suicide, with the statement also pointing to Carradine's "valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder." They also said that they hoped to "shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness."

Before "Revenge of the Nerds," Carradine had early roles in Westerns and worked with his brother David Carradine (whose own death came to reveal tragic secrets) on various projects. He came from a family of actors — his father, John Carradine, was known for horror films and Westerns. Robert's other notable credits include "Escape from L.A.," "The Big Red One," and Quentin Tarantino's box office smash "Django Unchained."

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Hilary Duff, who played the titular character in the "Lizzie McGuire" franchise, was quick to share her sadness over the passing of her former on-screen dad. Early Tuesday morning, just hours after the news of Robert Carradine's death broke, Duff posted a heartfelt tribute to him on Instagram along with a photo of the two of them together. Duff wrote, "This one hurts. It's really hard to face this reality about an old friend."

Speaking fondly of both Carradine and Hallie Todd, who played Lizzie's mother, Duff continued, "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." Duff and Carradine co-starred in both seasons of the "Lizzie McGuire" series as well as "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." 

Actor Martha Plimpton, daughter of Robert's brother Keith Carradine (also an actor), took to Instagram to honor the memory of her late uncle. Plimpton, who rose to prominence playing the snarky Stef Steinbrenner in "The Goonies," gushed about him as a person, writing, "He was dear, and loving, and nonjudgmental. And he loved honestly." She concluded her tribute by addressing Carradine directly: "I love you, Bobby. You made my world happier. I will miss you enormously."