Robert Carradine

This talented, but often underutilized, dark-haired actor of film and TV remained best known for playing the sympathetic nerd leader in the likable teen flick "Revenge of the Nerds" (1984) and its subsequent sequels. Otherwise Robert Carradine's notoriety stemmed largely from being the youngest member of an acting dynasty, comprised of the deceased patriarch John, quirky half-brother David and cool brother Keith. His own daughter, Ever, also entered the fray, making showbiz a generational occupation.

Born March 24, 1954 in Los Angeles, he spent a good amount of his early life as a musician before being bit by the family bug. Carradine made his acting debut at age 16 as understudy to brother Keith in a Florida production of "Tobacco Road" starring their famous father. His first notable impression on film was as “the boy with gun” who shoots David Carradine in Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets" (1973), followed three years later with his first starring role as Johnny Crystal in “The Pom Pom Girls” (1976). The brothers Carradine performed together onscreen as outlaws the Younger brothers in Walter Hill's respectable western, "The Long Riders" (1980).

Like his kin, Carradine had a natural ease before the camera and proved capable in a wide variety of roles. He first came into his own in his early twenties with a series of teen films, notably as a nerdy hippie in "Massacre at Central High" (1976), before garnering praise for his portrayal of a traumatized Vietnam veteran in Hal Ashby's "Coming Home" (1977). Carradine also fared well as narrator and ensemble member in Sam Fuller's tough old-fashioned WWII flick, "The Big Red One" (1980) and as the would-be writer Robert Cohn in the NBC telefilm remake of "The Sun Also Rises" (1984). He repeated his stage role as a man dying of complications from AIDS who is cared for by his former lover in "As Is" (Showtime, 1986) before delivering a nice turn as a hippie-turned-reluctant yuppie in the enjoyable comedy "Rude Awakening" (1989).

The 90s saw the actor reprising his "Nerds" role in two TV movie sequels (both of which he co-produced), "Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation" (Fox, 1992) and "Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love" (Fox, 1994). Making a radical departure, he next played a skinhead in the iconic, "John Carpenter's Escape From L.A." (1996). Carradine also made some delicious TV episodic appearances, notably as villain Joey Bermuda on "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (ABC, 1993-97) and as a man impersonating a physician in NBC's hit "ER" (1994- ), which reunited him with his "Nerds" co-star Anthony Edwards.

In addition to working professionally as a musician and a race car driver, Carradine also found time to get behind the camera, directing a 2002 episode of Hilary Duff's Disney Channel TV show, "Lizzie McGuire" (2001-04), entitled "Lizzie's Eleven. Already familiar with the show, Carradine had been cast in the recurring role of Sam McGuire, Duff's onscreen father.

• Also Credited As:
  Robert Reed Carradine
• Born:
  March 24, 1954 in Los Angeles, California, USA
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Musician, Producer, Race car driver

Family

• Brother: Christopher John Carradine. born c. 1947; mother, Sonia Sorel
• Brother: Keith Ian Carradine. born in 1949
• Daughter: Ever Carradine. born on August 6, 1974; mother, Susan Snyder; Carradine raised her as a single parent
• Daughter: Marica Reed Carradine. born May 2, 1990, mother, Edie Mani
• Father: John Carradine. born on February 5, 1906; died on November 27, 1988
• Half-brother: Bruce Carradine. adopted son of John Carradine; mother, Ardanell McCool Cosner
• Half-brother: David Carradine. born on December 8, 1939; mother, Ardanelle McCool Cosner
• Mother: Sonia Sorel. married John Carradine in 1945; divorced in 1955; fought three-year custody battle for their three sons: Christopher, Keith and Robert; father won custody
• Son: Ian Alexander Carradine. born November 14, 1992, mother, Edie Mani

Significant Others

• Wife: Edie Mani. married 1990; mother of Marica & Ian
• Companion: Susan Snyder. together c. 1973-77; mother of Ever Carradine

Milestones

• 1963 Became a musician at age nine (date approximate)
• 1970 Made stage debut when he replaced brother Keith at age 16 in Tobacco Road (date approximate)
• 1971 Made TV Debut in Bonanza
• 1972 Co-starred with father John in second episode of brother David s Kung Fu
• 1972 Feature acting debut, The Cowboys , starring John Wayne
• 1973 Had bit part in Martin Scorsese s Mean Streets
• 1974 TV series debut as a regular on the ABC series adaptation of The Cowboys
• 1975 First starring role as Johnny Chrystal in The Pom Pom Girls
• 1977 Had supporting role in Coming Home
• 1977 Raced Ferraris with Paul Newman at Daytona and Sebring
• 1980 Appeared with brothers David and Keith as the outlaw Younger brothers in Walter Hill s The Long Riders
• 1980 Narrated and starred in Samuel Fuller s WWII drama The Big Red One
• 1984 Had most famous feature film role as Lewis, the positive-thinking leader of Revenge of the Nerds
• 1984 Played Robert Cohn in NBC remake of The Sun Also Rises
• 1986 Sang onscreen in Number One with a Bullet
• 1986 Starred in As Is for Broadway on Showtime
• 1987 Reprised role of Lewis in Revenge of the Nerds II
• 1992 Had cameo as himself in Robert Altman s The Player
• 1992 Played Lewis a third time in the Fox TV-movie sequel Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation ; also co-produced
• 1994 Co-produced the TV-movie sequel Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love ; also starred
• 1995 Reunited with Nerds castmate Anthony Edwards in an episode of ER (NBC)
• 1996 Played a Skinhead in John Carpenter s Escape From L.A.
• 2001 Cast as Lizzie s father in the series, Lizzie McGuire (Disney)
• 2001 Played the father in Max Keeble s Big Move
• 2002 Directed an episode of Lizzie McGuire titled Lizzie s Eleven
• 2003 Reprised role as Lizzie s father in The Lizzie McGuire Movie
• 2007 Co-starred with Michael Madsen in the independent horror/thriller, Hoboken Hollow
• Acting debut as an understudy to brother Keith who appeared with their father in Tobacco Road
• Continued to play guitar and bass
• Starred in the L.A. production of William H. Hoffman s play, As Is
• Worked as a driver of Corvettes for Mobil Oil and B F Goodrich