Hilary Duff mourns 'Lizzie McGuire' co-star Robert Carradine

Hilary Duff paid tribute to her Lizzie McGuire co-star Robert Carradine on Instagram, writing, "This one hurts. It’s hard to face this reality about an old friend." She added that there was "so much warmth in the McGuire family" and that she always felt cared for by her on-screen parents, saying she would "be forever grateful" and that her "heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him." Carradine played Sam McGuire, Lizzie’s father, in the Disney Channel series, appearing in 65 episodes between 2001 and 2004, and he also played the same character in the 2003 film The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

Jake Thomas, who played Duff’s brother on the show, called Carradine "one of the coolest guys you could ever meet," describing him as "Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric." Carradine’s family said he took his own life after a long battle with Bipolar Disorder, and issued a statement acknowledging his "valiant struggle" against the illness.

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