Robert Carradine, Actor Who Played the Father in ‘Lizzie McGuire,’ Dies at 71

A member of a renowned acting dynasty, he also earned fame for his role in “Revenge of the Nerds.” His family said he struggled with bipolar disorder.

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,” died on Monday in Los Angeles. He was 71.

His daughter Ever Carradine said he had died by suicide. His family, in a statement provided earlier by Oren Segal, a representative of Mr. Carradine’s brother Keith, said Mr. Carradine had struggled with bipolar disorder for nearly two decades.

Mr. Carradine was born into a family of actors and made his big-screen debut in 1972 in the Western “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, persuaded him to audition for the role.

While Robert Carradine did not reach superstardom, he cultivated an acting career spanning five decades, appearing in several award-winning films.

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 family members David and Keith Carradine, portraying siblings. Robert Carradine appeared in “Coming Home” in 1978, a Vietnam War-era drama that won three Academy Awards, including best actress (Jane Fonda) and best actor (Jon Voight).

Robert Carradine’s biggest film success 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,” he 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” comedy series, one of Disney’s top shows in the 2000s. In a 2013 interview, Mr. Carradine described the show’s success as a “godsend.”

“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; he had dreamed 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 dropped out of Hollywood High School to star in the movie and would later say that he wished he had graduated, Ever 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.

Ever Carradine was born to Mr. Carradine and Susan Snyder in 1974 and went on to have a television career as an actress, appearing in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Mr. Carradine raised her as a single father until 1990, when he married Edith Mani. They had two more children, Marika and Ian. Mr. Carradine and Ms. Mani divorced in 2018.

His survivors include his children, grandchildren and brothers, his family said.

“He had a deep love of film, music and racecar driving — those were the things that kept him going,” Ever Carradine said in an interview on Tuesday, “and later in his life, his kids and grandchildren.”

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.

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