'Revenge of the Nerds' star Robert Carradine dead at 71

Actor Robert Carradine, best known for 'Revenge of the Nerds' and 'Lizzie McGuire,' died Sunday at 71. He took his own life after battling Bipolar Disorder, his brother Keith Carradine said. The family, part of a long line of actors that includes father John and brothers Keith and David, said, "It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away." Carradine began his film career in 1972 with The Cowboys, and appeared in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973) and the 1978 Best Picture nominee Coming Home.

He became widely known as Lewis Skolnick in the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds, which earned $40 million on a $6 million budget, and he later appeared in three sequels. A new generation discovered him as Sam McGuire on the TV series and movie Lizzie McGuire. Hilary Duff wrote, "This one hurts," and Jake Thomas called Carradine "one of the coolest guys you could ever meet," remembering him as funny, pragmatic and often eccentric.

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