Actress Hilary Duff mourned the death of Robert Carradine via a heartfelt Instagram post. Carradine played the role of her father, Sam McGuire, in the beloved Disney comedy franchise, Lizzie McGuire.
Carradine stayed as a father figure for Duff from 2001 to 2004, appearing in a total of 65 episodes on the show. He also played the part in the show’s 2003 movie adaptation The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
In her Instagram post, Duff 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.”
She went on, “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.”
Not just Duff – Jake Thomas, who acted as Lizzie’s brother Matt McGuire on the show – also took to Instagram to mourn Carradine’s death. He wrote, “My heart hurts today. 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.”
Revenge of the Nerds just hit different today. Robert Carradine brought Lewis to life and showed every misfit out there that the jocks don’t always win. That Lambda energy still lives in all of us grinding today. Rest easy king — you made nerds cool before it was cool… pic.twitter.com/I4winYT6BZ
— mr. crab (@dzmbxnrd) February 24, 2026
Thomas also addressed all the great memories he shared with Carradine and stated, “…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.”
Carradine had been suffering from bipolar disorder for almost two decades. Succumbing to his struggles, he took his own life at the age of 71. His family made this revelation to Deadline as they wanted to remember Carradine and also spread awareness about mental health.
They issued a statement, “It 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 of light to everyone around him.”
I know a lot people will be sharing ROTN clips to honor Robert Carradine tonight. But he was much more than that.
The first time I remember him was as Martha Davis’s love interest in The Motels Suddenly Last Summer video.
Blessings to the Carradine family. pic.twitter.com/kTmBa2cweu
— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) February 24, 2026
Th family said, “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.”
Keith Carradine, Robert’s brother, talked about wanting to reveal the actor’s internal struggles to the world. He stressed that there is no shame in falling victim to psychological problems, “We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it.”
Keith added, “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul.”
