\n\tRobert Carradine, star of The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, has died. He was 71.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Carradine family in a statement obtained Tuesday by The Hollywood Reporter said: \u201cIt 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 on light to everyone around him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAn agent for Keith Carradine<\/a> confirmed to THR that Robert Carradine took his own life Monday; that followed, according to the family, a nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder. \u201cWe 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,\u201d their statement added.<\/p>\n \n\tBorn on March 24, 1954, Robert Carradine was the youngest son of actor John Carradine and actress Sonia Sorel and a brother to actors David Carradine and Keith Carradine and Disney imagineer Christopher Carradine.<\/p>\n \n\tHe\u00a0made his movie acting debut in 1972 alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys, having auditioned for the role after brother David insisted he \u201chad everything to gain and nothing to lose.\u201d Robert Carradine revisited the character in the TV series\u00a0The Cowboys,\u00a0which aired for a season.<\/p>\n \n\tThat early role led to additional acting gigs, including in Hal Ashby\u2019s Vietnam drama Coming Home, where he appeared opposite Jane Fonda and Jon Voight, and in Martin Scorsese<\/a>\u2019s Mean Streets.<\/p>\n \n\tIn 1980, Carradine attended the Cannes Film Festival with two movies, Samuel Fuller\u2019s The Big Red One, which also starred Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin, and Walter Hill\u2019s The Long Riders, where he appeared alongside brothers David and Keith as real-life outlaw brothers.<\/p>\n \n\tDuring shooting on The Long Riders, Carradine bought his movie horse, Z-Tan, who would live on brother Robert\u2019s property in the Hollywood Hills.<\/p>\n \n\tA key role for Carradine came in 1984 with Revenge of the Nerds in which he starred as head nerd Lewis Skolnick. He went on to reprise that classic college comedy role in three sequels.<\/p>\n \n\tHe also starred as the father in the Lizzie McGuire series. Hilary Duff<\/a>, who played his onscreen daughter, in an Instagram post <\/a>paid tribute to her co-star and longtime friend.\u00a0\u201cThis one hurts. It\u2019s really hard to face this reality about an old friend. There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I\u2019ll be forever grateful for that. I\u2019m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family and everyone who loved him,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n \n\tCarradine was also a musician alongside brothers Keith and David, and they appeared at the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride, Colorado. He also accompanied his friend and childhood hero Peter Yarrow and folk legend Ramblin\u2019 Jack Elliott onstage.<\/p>\n \n\tHe is survived by a daughter, actress Ever Carradine, whom he had with Susan Snyder. He had two more children, Marika and Ian Carradine, with Edith Mari. He also is survived by his grandchildren, Chaplin and Jack.<\/p>\n \n\tFeb. 24, 10:40 a.m. This story has been updated with confirmation that Robert Carradine took his own life.<\/p>\n