# Robert Carradine dies at 71 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [February 24, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934 "2026-02-24T15:31:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/1 "2026-02-24T15:31:35Z")
Robert started as a child actor. He was in John Wayne’s film _The Cowboys_ 1972. Robert was one of the young boys helping with the cattle drive. Born in 1954, Robert was 30 when he played a Frat boy in _Revenge of the Nerds_ 1984. I remember him in the film _Coming Home_ 1978 with Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, and Jane Fonda. A remarkable film about a disabled Vietnam veteran. [He’s had a long career.](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0001019) RIP Robert. Thanks for all hours of entertainment. I enjoyed many of your films. > **[Robert Carradine, Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire actor, dies aged 71](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/24/robert-carradine-dies-aged-71-death-revenge-of-the-nerds-actor)** > > The actor killed himself, his family said in a statement that aimed to raise awareness of ‘his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder’ ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/2 "2026-02-24T15:50:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Born in 1954, Robert was 30 when he played a Frat boy in _Revenge of the Nerds_ 1984. And featured in the champion of “scenes that have not aged well”. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/3 "2026-02-24T16:09:30Z")
I’m glad they were honest that he committed suicide due to mental illness instead of sweeping it under the rug like most people do. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/4 "2026-02-24T16:15:38Z")
His daughter Ever Carradine has had a decent career as a character actor. I knew her face from various things long before I learned her name and connection. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/5 "2026-02-24T16:15:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Born in 1954, Robert was 30 when he played a Frat boy in _Revenge of the Nerds_ 1984. The sad thing is that _Revenge of the Nerds_ hurt his career. Carradine had been building a career in supporting roles in quality movies. Then he made _Revenge of the Nerds_, where he had a lead role in a mindless comedy that was a huge box office hit. And that redefined his career. People weren’t going to cast Lewis Skolnick in serious roles. Instead he got stuck playing lead roles in dumb movies and cashing in on his name recognition. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/6 "2026-02-24T16:35:57Z")
And (FWIW) his niece, actress Martha Plimpton, said that out of all her uncles (and she had a bunch), he was probably the best actor. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/7 "2026-02-24T17:24:28Z")
David Carradine (1936) was considerably older than Keith (1949) and Robert (1954). ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/8 "2026-02-24T17:41:05Z")
that shocked me! I had no idea he was related to those Carradines. It’s surprising if Revenge of the Nerds hurt his career but not Anthony Edwards. However I didn’t realize there was such an age gap between them ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/9 "2026-02-24T19:24:31Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > that shocked me! I had no idea he was related to those Carradines. I think _The Long Riders_ was the only time all three worked together. They played the Younger Brothers. James and Stacy Keach played Jesse and Frank James. Dennis and Randy Quaid played the Miller Brothers. Christoper and Nicholas Guest played Charlie and Bob Ford. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/10 "2026-02-24T19:46:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Robert started as a child actor. He was in John Wayne’s film _The Cowboys_ 1972. I saw that movie as a kid and I always wished that I’d had the chance to drive cattle as a kid. Wow, I’m old. Sucks to be old. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/11 "2026-02-24T19:56:03Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I think _The Long Riders_ was the only time all three worked together. Apparently, they all appeared in an episode of [_The Fall Guy_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0576148/) together, along with their father John. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/12 "2026-02-24T20:30:06Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’m glad they were honest that he committed suicide due to mental illness instead of sweeping it under the rug like most people do. At least he didn’t die with his neck tied to his dick. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/13 "2026-02-24T20:41:44Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > that shocked me! I had no idea he was related to those Carradines. Oh yeah, a really talented family. I also know Ever Carradine from both the shows _Eureka_ and Marvel’s _Runaways_. I don’t remember seeing Robert in anything in a long time, but apparently he has been acting steadily according to IMDb, including more than a half dozen things still in production that haven’t come out yet. I feel for his family. He had a long career and was in some great shows, he just wasn’t the lead in most of them. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/14 "2026-02-24T20:41:58Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I think _The Long Riders_ was the only time all three worked together. That is a really great movie, one of the few Westerns I like. Robert was excellent as the youngest Younger brother. This makes me sad. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/15 "2026-02-24T21:29:33Z")
Robert’s daughter Ever was on _Major Crimes_ ten years ago. Rusty was a abandoned teen boy that became a regular character. Ever played the drug addicted mom that abandoned Rusty. Imdb reports she appeared in 10 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/16 "2026-02-25T00:05:34Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Born in 1954, Robert was 30 when he played a Frat boy in _Revenge of the Nerds_ 1984. RIP Robert. Sad. Funny story about RotNs. Way back when, I saw that movie with a girl I was dating. She liked it and wanted to see the ‘original’. I was confused, we talked around each other for a long time until I realized she assumed that since it was called “Revenge of” there must have been an original “Nerds” that this was a sequel to. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/17 "2026-02-25T00:16:30Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Funny story about RotNs. Way back when, I saw that movie with a girl I was dating. She liked it and wanted to see the ‘original’. I was confused, we talked around each other for a long time until I realized she assumed that since it was called “Revenge of” there must have been an original “Nerds” that this was a sequel to. _Episode I: The Dork Menace_ ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/18 "2026-02-25T00:20:22Z")
I saw a very lovely post about Robert on Jamie Lee Curtis’s Instagram account this afternoon. I had not realized that the two of them were a couple for a time in the late 1970s. [https://www.instagram.com/p/DVJStoTkddA/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVJStoTkddA/) ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/19 "2026-02-25T00:20:53Z")
If you think about it, though they all had a strong family resemblance. I was a huge fan of Kung Fu and David Carradine and their father John in the old horror movies. I missed out on some of the other brothers’ work, but I think I’ll try to find some of it. There’s been some tragedy in that family. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934/20 "2026-02-25T00:24:45Z")
When I saw a post about this on Facebook, I did a double take. Not because of his manner of death or anything like that, but because in the photo they used he looked a lot like Steve Bannon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-carradine-dies-at-71/1027934.md?page=2)