‘The Goonies’ actress Martha Plimpton is mourning her uncle, actor Robert Carradine, who passed away at the age of 71.
“Uncle Bobby was the best of my eight siblings, blood, adoptive and step-son,” the “Goonies” star, 55, wrote on Instagram early Tuesday morning, posting a photo of Carradine.
“Out of all of them, he was the absolute best. He was the one who hugged me the first time I went to visit my dad in Los Angeles when I was 8 or 9 years old. He hugged me and teased me about being the only Carradine from New York. ‘Come on, over he ah! Maw tut! Get over he woo!'” He had a terrible New York accent. I was an alien, and Bobby joked with me about it, and I adored him for that. ”
She went on to praise him as “the best actor ever, by a thousand miles” and encouraged people to watch his roles in “Cowboys,” “The Big Red One” and “Coming Home.”
“Honestly, he’s actually the best actor of them all. And I think I know why, because he was kind. He had an inherent kindness in him. He was loving, loving, non-judgmental. And he loved honestly. Like everyone else, like any human being, he made mistakes. But he never lost his decency or his heart.”
“I love you, Bobby. You made my world a happier place. You will be sorely missed,” she concluded her sweet eulogy.
The Carradine family, which includes at least eight prominent actors, announced late Monday night that the “Lizzie McGuire” star had died by suicide.
“It is with deep sadness that we must share the passing of our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine,” the family told Deadline in a statement.
“In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon of light to those around him. We are saddened by the loss of this beautiful soul and would like to pay tribute to Bobby’s courageous fight in his nearly 20-year battle with bipolar disorder.”
“We hope that his journey will shine a light and encourage us to address the stigma that surrounds mental illness. At this time, we ask for privacy as we grieve this unfathomable loss. Thank you for your understanding and compassion.”
His brother Keith Carradine explained to the outlet why he decided to reveal how Carradine died:
“This disease brought out the best in him. I want to celebrate his fight and honor his beautiful soul. He was deeply gifted and we will miss him every day. We take comfort in seeing how funny he was, how wise he was, and how completely accepting and forgiving he was. That was my little brother.”
In 2009, Carradine announced that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder after his brother David Carradine died of suffocation.
Carradine’s eldest daughter, The Handmaid’s Tale actress Ever Carradine, also paid tribute to the Revenge of the Nerds star with an emotional eulogy.
“Today my dad passed away. My sweet, funny dad, only 20 years older than me, never missed an opportunity to drive me to the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing,” she told her Instagram followers early Tuesday morning.
“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.”
In addition to Ever, whom Carradine adopted from his relationship with Susan Snyder, Carradine is survived by Marika and Ian, whom he had with ex-wife Edith Mani.
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.
