Robert Carradine, ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ and ‘Lizzie McGuire’ Star, Dies at 71

Robert Carradine, whose wide-eyed portrayal of Lewis Skolnick in the 1984 cult comedy “Revenge of the Nerds” turned him into an unlikely pop-culture icon and who later endeared himself to a new generation as the laid-back dad Sam McGuire on Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire,” has died at age 71.

The youngest scion of Hollywood’s prolific Carradine acting dynasty, Carradine had, according to a brief statement, spent recent years navigating bipolar disorder. No further details regarding his death were provided.

Carradine’s breakout role came as the enthusiastic, adorably awkward Lewis, leader of the Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity, in “Revenge of the Nerds,” a film that celebrated underdogs and became a surprise box-office success, spawning sequels and cementing the word “nerd” into the American lexicon. Two decades later he transitioned smoothly into family television, playing the supportive, guitar-strumming father to Hilary Duff’s Lizzie in the Emmy-nominated series that ran from 2001 to 2004 and became a touchstone of early-millennium youth culture.

Off-screen, Carradine was a familiar face at fan conventions and, in 2013, co-hosted TBS’s reality competition “King of the Nerds,” a tribute to the franchise that had launched him to fame.

His passing marks another loss in a month that has already seen the deaths of sports legends such as Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen and NHL ironman Glenn Hall, as well as civil-rights pioneer Claudette Colvin and fashion titan Valentino Garavani.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.