Robert Carradine is said to have expressed his concerns when he failed to show up for a reading just days before his heartbreaking death.
According to Connie Lomose, director of Carradine’s last project, The Driver, when Carradine “went MIA” from her film, she “knew something was wrong.”
She told TMZ on Tuesday that the actor worried producers when he went “radio silent” last month.
Producers didn’t know where he went or what he was doing, but friends of the cast were aware of Carradine’s mental health struggles and decided to give the actor some space. The cast and crew hoped he would return to work when he was ready, but he never did.
Page Six has reached out to Carradine’s representatives for comment.
Despite Carradine’s worrying behavior, Ramose told the show she was “shocked and devastated” by his death, adding that the “Lizzie McGuire” alum was “fun and always upbeat” when speaking during pre-production.
She said Carradine was very excited about the project (a crime drama in which he would star as a mob boss) and wanted to show that he “could do more than comedies and westerns.”
Robert took his own life after battling bipolar disorder, his brother, actor Keith Carradine, announced on Tuesday.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine,” the family said in a statement to Deadline. He was 71 years old.
Keith added that he and his family wanted to raise awareness about his brother’s 20-year battle with bipolar disorder.
According to TMZ, Robert said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after his brother David died of suffocation in 2009.
He made his film debut in the 1972 John Wayne-directed Western Cowboys, but rose to fame as Louis Skolnick in the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds.
Almost 20 years later, Robert attracted a new, younger audience with his role as Sam McGuire in the television series and film Lizzie McGuire.
Several of his co-stars from the hit Disney Channel series have paid touching tributes to him, including his TV daughter Hilary Duff and his TV wife Harry Todd.
Robert is survived by three children: daughters Ever and Marika, and son Ian.
Ever, who is also an actress and starred in The Handmaid’s Tale, shared a heartfelt message about her father after his death was revealed.
“Today my father passed away. He was only 20 years older than me and was a kind and funny man who never missed an opportunity to drop me off at the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing,” Eber told her Instagram followers.
“My father was a lover, not a fighter. He was truly genuine. In a world full of conflict and division, I think today we can take a page from his book and open our hearts, feel love, and share.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
