Adam Rich (October 12, 1968 – January 7, 2023) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son on the television series ''

Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who ...

'', which ran for five seasons (1977–1981). A distinctive feature of his appearance during his years as a child actor was his

pageboy The pageboy or page boy is a past hairstyle named after what was believed to be the haircut of a late medieval page boy. It has straight hair hanging to below the ear, where it usually turns under. There is often a fringe (bangs) in the front. T ...

haircut, which inspired thousands of parents of that era to imitate the look for their young sons. FOXNews.com, January 15, 2013. Quote: "Playing the youngest of the Bradford clan, Adam Rich was America's little brother. In the late '70s and early '80s, thousands of boys sported a Nicholas-style haircut." His role on the show led him to be known as "America's little brother."

Personal life

Rich was born on October 12, 1968, the son of Francine and Rob Rich. His family was Jewish. Growing up as a child actor, Rich lived in

Granada Hills, Los Angeles Granada Hills is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The community has a sports program and a range of city recreation centers. The neighborhood has fourteen public and ten private schools. His ...

, with his parents and younger brother. The family briefly lived in Florida where he learned how to act at the local gym. He was active in sports, including baseball, football, bicycle riding, skateboarding, and swimming. He also had an interest in drawing. At age 14, he tried smoking marijuana, and at 17, in 1986, he dropped out of high school. He almost died of a

valium Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is commonly used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, insomnia, a ...

overdose in 1989. In 1991, he was arrested and charged with attempted burglary of a pharmacy. In 1996, there was a media hoax that Rich had been murdered; the story was published in the San Francisco-based magazine ''

Might Might may refer to: * ''might'', one of the English modal verbs * "Might", a song by Modest Mouse from their 1996 album ''This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About'' * ''Might'' magazine, a magazine founded by American author D ...

'', with Rich's consent. ''Might'' writer

Dave Eggers Dave Eggers (born March 12, 1970) is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He wrote the 2000 best-selling memoir ''A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius''. Eggers is also the founder of ''Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'', a lite ...

included the incident in his memoir ''

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius ''A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius'' is a memoir by Dave Eggers released in 2000. It chronicles his stewardship of his younger brother Christopher "Toph" Eggers following the cancer-related deaths of his parents. The book was a commerc ...

''. In 2002, Rich was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). He was in

drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent i ...

at least three times during his life. As of 2013, he occasionally made personal appearances and marketed script ideas for TV shows and films.

Career

Rich won the role of Nicholas at the age of eight. After ''Eight Is Enough'', he had roles in

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

's short-lived 1981 TV series '' Code Red'' on ABC and the 1983 sitcom '' Gun Shy'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. Rich made guest appearances on television series including ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...

'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

'', ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...

'', '' St. Elsewhere'', and ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bo ...

''. He also did voice work on the cartoon series ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...

'', along with ''Eight Is Enough'' co-star

Willie Aames Willie Aames, also credited as Willie Ames, (born Albert William Upton, July 15, 1960) is an American actor, film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing Tommy Bradford, one of the children of ...

. Rich appeared in TV commercials for Betty Crocker Snackin' Cake and

Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco's ...

's Wheatsworth crackers.

Death

Rich died in his Los Angeles home on January 7, 2023.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rich, Adam 1968 births 2023 deaths American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors Jewish American actors Jewish American male actors People from Granada Hills, Los Angeles Male actors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors