Hilary Duff is mourning the loss of her Lizzie McGuire costar, Robert Carradine.

“This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend,” Duff, 38, wrote via Instagram early Tuesday, February 24, alongside throwback photos with her former on-screen dad. “There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him , his family, and everyone who loved him. 💔”

On Monday, February 23, Carradine’s family confirmed his death at age 71 following a battle with bipolar disorder.

“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,” the Carradine family said in a statement to Deadline. “In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon [of] light to everyone around him. We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder.”

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Related: ‘Lizzie McGuire’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Hilary Duff’s breakout role on Lizzie McGuire yielded years of success for the actress that continues today, while her costars chose slightly different paths. The sitcom — starring Duff (Lizzie McGuire), Lalaine (Miranda Sanchez), Adam Lamberg (Gordo), Jake Thomas (Matt McGuire), Hallie Todd (Jo McGuire) and Robert Carradine (Sam McGuire) — aired from 2001 to 2004 and […]

The statement continued, “We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness. At this time we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion.”

The actor’s brother, fellow screen star Keith Carradine, opened up about Carradine’s struggles with bipolar disorder in his own statement to Deadline.

“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” Keith Carradine said. “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul. He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day. We will take solace in how funny he could be, how wise and utterly accepting and tolerant he was. That’s who my baby brother was.”

Carradine was best known for playing Sam McGuire, Lizzie’s dad, in Disney Channel’s hit comedy starring Duff from 2001 to 2004. He reprised his role in 2003’s The Lizzie McGuire Movie. He was also set to return as Sam in a Disney+ reboot which was ultimately scrapped in 2020.

Carradine was also known for his role in 1984’s Revenge of the Nerds.

He is survived by his three children, including Handmaid’s Tale actress Ever Carradine, and his extended family, which includes brother Keith and niece Martha Plimpton.

Carradine’s on-screen son, Jake Thomas, opened up to Us Weekly earlier this year about working with the actor on the set of Lizzie McGuire.

“Bobby Carradine and Hallie Todd, who played my parents. They have always been and will continue to be like an aunt and uncle to me,” Thomas, 36, said, noting that he still saw his on-screen parents from “time to time.”

“They’re basically like family at this point, from going through an experience like that that was so influential in my life and in everybody else’s lives too,” the actor said. “It makes us, in a way, a family that can never be separated.”

For someone who was quintessentially American, as an actor/presence on screen, it’s a little surprising that Robert Redford didn’t star in more Western movies throughout all the decades he spent in front of the camera (and he spent a bit of time behind the camera, too, Clint Eastwood-style, since Redford was also fairly prolific as a director). But for what it’s worth, some of his earliest roles on television, before he was a movie star, came from one-off appearances in Western shows like Maverick, The Deputy, and Tate. And then it’s also been pointed out that his final on-screen appearance was a cameo role in another Western show: Dark Winds. That cameo was alongside George R.R. Martin, both of them playing a game of chess, and the episode in question aired in 2025, about half a year before Redford passed away at the age of 89.

Going back a few decades, though, what follows is a look at all the Western movies Robert Redford starred in. There were four made between 1969 and 1979, when Redford was arguably at his peak as an actor. Quite neatly, the 1980s marked the exact point he started directing as well as continuing to act in some films, since 1980 was when he made his directorial debut: Ordinary People. So, there are four “classic era” Redford Westerns, and then one from the late 1990s that’s less of a traditional Western, but should probably still be counted. It’s a quality over quantity thing, maybe, since Redford didn’t star in a ton of Western movies, but at least a couple are all-timers within the genre (and it should be stressed that Redford thrived in plenty of other genres throughout his time as an actor).

5

‘The Horse Whisperer’ (1998)

Image via Touchstone Pictures

Almost missed this one, to be honest. The original approach here was ‘All 4 Robert Redford Westerns, Ranked,’ because Letterboxd cites four movies of his as Westerns, or Westerns alongside other genres, and didn’t include The Horse Whisperer among them. But, no, it should be here. It should be counted as at least a neo-Western. Sorry, Letterboxd, but you’re wrong. And then it was still tempting to just pretend The Horse Whisperer didn’t exist, truth be told, because there isn’t much to say about The Horse Whisperer beyond saying that it’s sort of competent, and Redford directed it on top of starring in it, and it’s also way, way, WAY too long.

The Horse Whisperer comes close to being three hours all up, but doesn’t really justify such a runtime with an epic story or lots of characters or just enough stuff happening generally to warrant such a runtime. It’s a movie about a horse trainer helping a young girl overcome her fears of riding, and also helping out her horse, and then said horse trainer also starts developing feelings for the mother of the young girl, because of course he does. It plods along, and maybe if you’re into how it looks, or if you just like looking at Robert Redford, or both, there’s something here, yet if you don’t fit into such a camp, there’s not that much here. It’s a film that feels more old-fashioned than you’d expect a release from 1998 to feel, and there’s a reason why it’s been a little forgotten (or has become somewhat obscure) a little over a quarter of a century later.

4

‘Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here’ (1969)

Image via Universal Pictures

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The most obscure of the Robert Redford Western movies would have to be Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, which came out the same year as Robert Redford’s most iconic and well-remembered Western. Further, Katharine Ross had a supporting role in both, and the two movies shared a cinematographer: Conrad Hall. All that’s probably giving away which movie is going to appear in the #1 spot here, but whatever. The rambling also inadvertently shows that it’s hard to know what to say about Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, to only a slightly lesser extent than it was to know how to talk about The Horse Whisperer. Redford is not the titular character here, that much can be said. He’s kind of the antagonist, but also, this is a revisionist Western, so it’s not really as easy to say one person’s good and the other’s bad.

Robert Blake plays the titular character, and he goes on the run after killing someone in self-defense. Further, that someone was the father of his girlfriend, and so she comes along with him, and Redford plays the Deputy Sheriff in charge of the ensuing manhunt. It’s a movie that explores racial tension and conflict in Old West times in what feels like a balanced fashion for the standards of the 1960s, though much of this doesn’t hold up as well today (that can also be said regarding the film’s somewhat clunky – at least nowadays – pacing). For its time, it was okay, though. Probably. Even then, maybe not perfect. But you have to approach certain older movies a little differently, sometimes. And this one is/was mostly fine.

3

‘The Electric Horseman’ (1979)

Image via Universal

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Before getting to the two Redford Westerns everyone knows, here’s the somewhat more obscure The Electric Horseman. Or if “obscure” isn’t the right word, then maybe “forgotten” is better? Since The Electric Horseman did perform pretty well financially back in 1979, making almost five times its budget… and that budget, of $12.5 million, might not sound like much today, but adjusted for inflation, that’s about $56 million, which is a lot for what’s ultimately a fairly grounded movie. The first Star Wars had a budget of $11 million, for comparison. Anyway, The Electric Horseman feels like one of the final large-scale New Hollywood movies, and so in that sense, it’s almost like a send-off to this era of Redford’s career; one last chance to play a cowboy, albeit here, a modern-day one.

It might’ve felt like a final opportunity for Redford and Jane Fonda to star in something together, too, as they’d also had lead roles in The Chase and (perhaps more memorably) Barefoot in the Park before The Electric Horseman, though they did star in one final film together decades later: 2017’s Our Souls at Night. As for The Electric Horseman, it’s a modern-day Western and something of a romantic dramedy, too, with a loose plot about Redford’s character going on the run with a horse that, rather humorously, is said to cost about the same as what the movie did: specifically $12 million. It’s an unconventional road movie, and as a result, it certainly dawdles and gets a bit messy in places, but there’s a charm to much of it, and it’s also a unique movie. Furthermore, Redford and Fonda always made for a good on-screen duo, so that helps The Electric Horseman’s watchability quite a bit.

2

‘Jeremiah Johnson’ (1972)

A few years before The Electric Horseman, Sydney Pollack (someone else who sometimes acted on top of directing) also directed Robert Redford in another Western: Jeremiah Johnson. This one’s nice and simple on a narrative front, and it’s also close to a one-man show for Robert Redford. Much of the film’s about him indeed playing the titular character, and said character is a man living on his own in the wilderness. There is conflict in the form of a vendetta that some Native Americans in the area have against him, which ups the stakes, though much of Jeremiah Johnson still feels focused on being a movie about surviving the elements.

And all those elements are captured immensely well, since Jeremiah Johnson is up there as one of the best-looking Westerns ever made. It really makes the most of outdoor/on-location shooting, and Redford, though still handsome and charming, isn’t afraid to make himself look a good deal rougher here, exemplified by the fact that the most famous and meme-worthy moment of Jeremiah Johnson (that damn ubiquitous nodding GIF) doesn’t really look like Robert Redford. Or, at least a while ago, you could surprise people by telling them it was Robert Redford, though it seems pretty well-known where the GIF comes from nowadays, even among people who’ve not actually seen the movie in full.

1

‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (1969)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. There we go. That’s your commentary. That’s your explanation for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid being here. It’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One more time, for the people in the back. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Wait, what? That’s not good enough? “You’re still about 100 words off the minimum word count an article like this is supposed to have,” the voice in my head I like to call Ed I. Tor tells me? Fine. Let’s commentate. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the very best Westerns of all time, so not just the top of the pile if we’re talking Robert Redford ones. It’s the previously alluded to one that Katharine Ross co-starred in and Conrad Hall shot, though you also can’t talk about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid without mentioning how great Paul Newman was here, as Butch Cassidy, paired to great effect with Redford, as the Sundance Kid. It’s one of cinema’s greatest duos, and it makes sense that they re-teamed to star in the also successful The Sting, but it makes less sense how that ended up being the final collaboration. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of those Westerns that’s exciting enough to recommend to people who might not usually like Westerns, and if you wanted to call it one of the greatest American films of its era, that really wouldn’t sound like too much of a hot take to most. It’s just an all-around great movie, you know?

Lizzie McGuire star Robert Carradine is dead at age 71 after a decades-long battle with Bipolar Disorder.

Carradine’s family confirmed the news of his death on Monday, February 23.

“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,” they told Deadline in a statement. “In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon on light to everyone around him. We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder. We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness. At this time we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion.”

An official cause of death has not been confirmed.

Related: ‘Lizzie McGuire’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Hilary Duff’s breakout role on Lizzie McGuire yielded years of success for the actress that continues today, while her costars chose slightly different paths. The sitcom — starring Duff (Lizzie McGuire), Lalaine (Miranda Sanchez), Adam Lamberg (Gordo), Jake Thomas (Matt McGuire), Hallie Todd (Jo McGuire) and Robert Carradine (Sam McGuire) — aired from 2001 to 2004 and […]

Robert’s brother Keith Carradine told the outlet that the family wanted to shed light on what they called the actor’s “valiant struggle” with Bipolar Disorder.

“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” he explained to Deadline. “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul. He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day. We will take solace in how funny he could be, how wise and utterly accepting and tolerant he was. That’s who my baby brother was.”

Robert got his start in the acting word by appearing in projects such as Mean Streets, Coming Home, The Long Riders and brother David Carradine’s series Kung Fu before landing his breakout role as Lewis Skolnick in the 1984’s hit comedy Revenge of the Nerds.

The actor was introduced to a new generation fans after being cast on Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire in 2001, starring as Hilary Duff’s dad, Sam. He reprised his role in the 2003 Lizzie McGuire Movie and was set to appear in the Disney+ revival series before it was ultimately scrapped in 2020.  Lalaine, Adam Lamberg, Hallie Todd and Jake Thomas also starred.

Earlier this year, Thomas, 36, opened up to Us Weekly exclusively about the bond he shared with his on screen parents.

“Bobby Carradine and Hallie Todd, who played my parents. They have always been and will continue to be like an aunt and uncle to me,” he shared, noting that the trio would still see each other from “time to time.”

“They’re basically like family at this point, from going through an experience like that that was so influential in my life and in everybody else’s lives too,” he continued. “It makes us, in a way, a family that can never be separated.”

Robert’s other TV credits included ER, The Practice, Nash Bridges, Dark Skies, NYPD Blue and many more.

He still had multiple projects in post-production at the time of his death, including The Cowboy Killer, The 3 Killer Pigs, Pay to Die, and The Driver, which have all yet to be released.

Robert is survived by his three children, whom he shares with ex-wife Edie Mani, his grandchildren, brothers, nieces, nephews and “anyone who had the honor of having him in their life,” per Deadline.

Published Feb 24, 2026, 8:01 AM EST

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These films went from 16:9 all the way down to 4:3 (proverbially). How many of these movie-to-TV titles do you know?

Hilary Duff’s breakout role on Lizzie McGuire yielded years of success for the actress that continues today, while her costars chose slightly different paths.

The sitcom — starring Duff (Lizzie McGuire), Lalaine (Miranda Sanchez), Adam Lamberg (Gordo), Jake Thomas (Matt McGuire), Hallie Todd (Jo McGuire) and Robert Carradine (Sam McGuire) — aired from 2001 to 2004 and consisted of two seasons and 65 episodes. Duff also played the leading lady in the beloved Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003 alongside several of her castmates and some new faces.

The show maintained such popularity in the years after its end that Disney+ announced a revival in August 2019. Duff agreed to reprise her role in the sequel series, which was set to follow Lizzie as she tried to figure out life in New York City.

“Lizzie has also grown up, she’s older, she’s wiser, she has a much bigger shoe budget. She has her dream job, the perfect life right now working as an apprentice to a fancy New York decorator,” the Younger star revealed at the D-23 expo at the time. “[She has] the perfect man, who owns a fancy restaurant [and is] getting ready to celebrate her 30th birthday.”

Duff elaborated on her excitement around revisiting the character via her Instagram Stories. “I don’t really have words. It’s crazy. I really missed her,” she said. “I think now is a great time for her to come back in her thirties. She’s everybody’s best friend, and I can’t wait to go on this next chapter with her.”

Todd, Carradine, Thomas and Lamberg later joined the project, while the “So Yesterday” singer teased what fans could expect from the revival.

“Her having a completely different life than Hilary — she doesn’t have kids — I thought it would be a really fun experience to go through it with her,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2019. “I think it’s going to be a really good mix of giving everyone what they want from the show in the past, and also a new fresh show and her at 30, which looks completely different.”

The series hit a roadblock in January 2020 when creator and showrunner Terri Minsky quit. Duff later complained about “limiting the realities of a 30-year-old’s journey under the ceiling of a PG rating” and asked to move the show to Hulu. However, the A Cinderella Story actress announced in July 2020 that she and the streaming platform had “pressed pause” to regroup on their vision.

Duff confirmed in December 2020 that the revival was not moving forward.

“I’ve been so honored to have the character of Lizzie in my life. She has made such a lasting impact on many, including myself. To see the fans’ loyalty and love for her, to this day, means so much to me. I know the efforts and conversations have been everywhere trying to make a reboot work but, sadly and despite everyone’s best efforts, it isn’t going to happen,” she announced via Instagram. “I want any reboot of Lizzie to be honest and authentic to who Lizzie would be today. It’s what the character deserves. We can all take a moment to mourn the amazing woman she would have been and the adventures we would have taken with her. I’m very sad, but I promise everyone tried their best and the stars just didn’t align. Hey now, this is what 2020s made of.”

In August 2022, Duff further opened up about the scrapped project to Women’s Health. “[Lizzie] had to be 30 years old doing 30-year-old things,” the “Coming Clean” singer explained to the magazine. “She didn’t need to be doing bong rips and having one-night stands all the time, but it had to be authentic. I think they got spooked.”

Scroll down to see what the cast of Lizzie McGuire has been up to.

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