Lizzie McGuire star Robert Carradine has died aged 71 with Hillary Duff leading tributes in an emotional social media post.
His older brother older brother Keith Carradine confirmed his death after a ‘nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder’.
The statement reads: ‘In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon of light to everyone around him.
‘We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder.
‘We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.’
He entered the industry in the 70s and landed his breakout role in Revenge of The Nerds in 1984. For many, Carradine is most recognised as playing the father Sam in the Lizzie McGuire Disney series, staring Hilary Duff as his titular daughter.
After featuring in 65 episodes and the hit movie, he briefly returned for two-episode reboot in 2020 which was ultimately cancelled.
In an Instagram post to her 28 million followers the now 38-year-old star, shared two images of her with her late fictional father.
She wrote: ‘This one hurts. It’s 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’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.’
Jake Thomas, who played Lizzie’s brother Matthew, shared: ‘My heart hurts today.’
He continued: ‘I was fortunate to know Bobby for most of my life. And he was one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric. He was a talented actor, musician, and director. But more than anything, he was family.
‘I have many fond memories being with him and his family throughout my life. Good moments, challenging moments, and lots of laughs between.’
‘I looked up to him growing up. And later in life, I came to realize he thought I was pretty neat, too. So I guess I was doing something right in his eyes.’
He then extended his condolences to Caradine’s family, where he is survived by his daughters Marika and Ever and his son Ian.
Lalaine, who played Lizzie’s best friend Miranda, posted ‘it’s really not fair’.
Adding: ‘I am thankful tho. Thankful I had time with you, thankful for our last conversation, and your constant fatherly like support. I love you Bobby.’
The late screenstar – who has also featured in Django Unchained, Escape from L.A. and The Big Red One – comes from an acting family.
The son of prolific Hollywood actor John Carradine (considered one of the great US film actors), his brothers, David, Keith and Bruce also followed in their father’s footsteps.
His daughter Ever, whom he shared with actress Susan Snyder, is herself an actress appearing in shows like Handmaid’s Tale and Marvel’s Runaways.
She added her own social media tribute.
Alongside a series of photos of the pair of the throughout their lives, she told her 97k followers about her ‘sweet, funny dad’ who is only 20 years older than her.
Sharing how present he was throughout her life, she praised the ‘grounded childhood’ he created for her despite being ‘a single dad in Laurel Canyon’.
She added: ‘Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad. I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back.
I think it’s partly because we basically grew up together. Twenty years age difference really isn’t that much, and while I never ever thought of him as a sibling, I did always think of him as my partner.
‘We were in it together. I never wanted to let him down, and I wanted him to trust that I had his back the same way that he had mine.’
Listing various life skills she’d learnt from him, she called him a ‘lover, not a fighter’ and said he ‘made me who I am’ as she concluded her trip down memory lane.
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