Robert Reed Carradine ( ; born March 24, 1954) is an American actor. A member of the
Carradine family Carradine is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
People
Acting family
*John Carradine, American actor
**David Carradine, American actor, son of John Carradine
**Robert Carradine, American actor, son of John Carradine
***Ever Carrad ...
, he made his first appearances on television Western series such as ''
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
'' and his brother
David's TV series, ''
Kung Fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
''. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film ''
The Cowboys
''The Cowboys'' is a 1972 American Western film starring John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Bruce Dern, and featuring Colleen Dewhurst and Slim Pickens. It was the feature film debut of Robert Carradine. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name ...
'', which starred
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
and
Roscoe Lee Browne
Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American actor and director. He resisted playing stereotypically black roles, instead performing in several productions with New York City's Shakespeare Festival Theater, Leland Hayward's ...
. Carradine also portrayed fraternity president Lewis Skolnick in the ''
Revenge of the Nerds
''Revenge of the Nerds'' is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley, and Bernie Casey. The film's plot chronicles a group of nerds at the fictional Adams College trying ...
'' series of comedy films.
Early life
Carradine was born in
Hollywood, California
Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...
, the son of actress and artist Sonia Sorel (née Henius) and actor
John Carradine
John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later Jo ...
. He is one of many actors in the
Carradine family Carradine is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
People
Acting family
*John Carradine, American actor
**David Carradine, American actor, son of John Carradine
**Robert Carradine, American actor, son of John Carradine
***Ever Carrad ...
. He is the brother of Christopher and
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film ''Nashville'', Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series '' Deadwood ...
, paternal half-brother of
Bruce
The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...
and the late
David Carradine
David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series ''Kung Fu'', playi ...
, and maternal half-brother of
Michael Bowen. His maternal great-grandfather was biochemist
Max Henius
Max Henius (June 16, 1859 – November 15, 1935) was a Danish-American biochemist who specialized in the fermentation processes. Max Henius co-founded the American Academy of Brewing in Chicago.
Background
Henius was born in Aalborg, Denmark ...
, and his maternal great-grandmother was the sister of historian
Johan Ludvig Heiberg.
Carradine's parents divorced when he was 2 years old. A bitter custody battle led to his father gaining custody of him and his brothers, Christopher and Keith. During the custody battle, the children spent three months in a home for abused children as wards of the court.
[Rader, Dotson. ''I Didn't Want to Fail''.Parade Magazine. September 29, 1991. Page 14] His brother, Keith, said of the experience, "It was like being in jail. There were bars on the windows, and we were only allowed to see our parents through glass doors. It was very sad. We would stand there on either side of the glass door crying".
Carradine was raised primarily by his stepmother, his father's third wife, Doris Grimshaw, and believed her to be his mother until he was introduced to Sonia Sorel at a Christmas party when he was 14 years old.
[Scott, Vernon. ''Young Robert May Top All Carradines''. Sarasota Herald. February 22, 1978, p. 7B.] While still in high school, Robert lived with his half-brother, David, in
Laurel Canyon, California
Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neighb ...
. Under David's care he indulged in two of his major interests: race car driving and music.
[Carradine, David. Endless Highway. (1995) Journey Editions] He and David belonged to a
musical quartet that performed in small clubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Acting career
Film
Carradine made his film debut in 1972 in ''
The Cowboys
''The Cowboys'' is a 1972 American Western film starring John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Bruce Dern, and featuring Colleen Dewhurst and Slim Pickens. It was the feature film debut of Robert Carradine. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name ...
'' with
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
. He was also featured in a short-lived television series, of the same name, based on the movie. He made an appearance as a killer in the
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
film ''
Mean Streets
''Mean Streets'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973. De Niro won the National ...
'' shooting to death the character played by his brother, David.
During this time he worked with David on some independent projects including a biker film called ''You and Me'' (1975) and an unreleased musical called ''A Country Mile''. He also did camera work for David's cult classic
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
-inspired ''
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
'' which was not released until 1983.
In 1976, Carradine had the opportunity to demonstrate on screen what he considered to be his "first ambition", car racing,
when he played Jim Cantrell in
Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel (August 6, 1938 – May 13, 2000) was an American actor, writer and director. He was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy ''Eating Raoul'', which he wrote, starred in and directed.
Bartel appeared in over 90 movies and ...
's ''
Cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
''. In the film Robert's character wins the cross country road race, beating the favorite, Coy "Cannonball" Buckman, played by his brother, David. In 1977, Robert became a snack for the vengeful killer whale in the ''
Jaws
Jaws or Jaw may refer to:
Anatomy
* Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth
** Mandible, the lower jaw
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker''
* ...
'' imitation film ''
Orca
The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...
''.
Robert also played with other Hollywood offspring in the 1977 film "
Joyride", where he starred with Desi Arnaz, Jr., Melanie Griffith and Anne Lockhart (daughter of June Lockhart) in a film about young Californians driving up to Washington and Alaska to seek their fortunes.
In 1978, Robert landed a demanding role in
Hal Ashby
William Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an American film director and editor associated with the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking.
Before his career as a director Ashby edited films for Norman Jewison, notably ''The Russ ...
's Oscar-winning Vietnam War drama, ''
Coming Home'', which starred
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
and
Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He came to prominence in the late 1960s with his Academy Award–nominated performance as Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969). During the 1970s, he ...
. His performance caused some speculation that he might be the best actor in his family.
Robert was instrumental in securing his brothers David and Keith to perform with him in one of the most unusual casting arrangements in movie history. Together the Carradines played the Younger brothers in ''
The Long Riders
''The Long Riders'' is a 1980 American Western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the ''Best Music'' award in 1980 from the L ...
'' (1980) along with three other sets of acting brothers:
Stacy
Stacy or Stacey may refer to:
Places
In the United States:
* Stacy, California, an unincorporated community
* Stacy, Kentucky
* Stacy, Minnesota, a city
* Stacy, Virginia, a village
People
* Stacy (given name)
* Stacy (singer) (born 199 ...
and
James Keach
James Keach (born December 7, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the younger brother of actor Stacy Keach Jr. and son of actor Stacy Keach Sr.
Early life and education
Keach was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Mary Cain () ...
,
Dennis
Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius.
The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is someti ...
and
Randy Quaid
Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy.
He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in ''The Last Detail'' i ...
, and
Christopher
Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...
and
Nicholas Guest
Nicholas Haden-Guest (born May 5, 1951), known as Nicholas Guest, is an American actor who has appeared in various movie and television roles, including that of headmaster Patrick James Elliot in the teen sitcom ''USA High''. Since 2000, he has p ...
.
Also in 1980, Carradine co-starred with
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...
and
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alth ...
in
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget B movie, genre movies with controversial themes, often ...
's ''
The Big Red One
''The Big Red One'' is a 1980 American epic war film written and directed by Samuel Fuller, and starring Lee Marvin alongside an ensemble supporting cast, including Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Siegfried Rauch, Bobby Di Cicco, and Kelly Ward. ...
'' recounting Fuller's World War II experience. His character, who was based on Fuller himself, narrated the film.
In 1983, he and Cherie Curie starred in the science fiction movie ''
Wavelength
In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.
It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, tro ...
'' in which he played a washed up rock star who helps extraterrestrials escape from a military base. For the film he performed his own compositions including one named after his daughter, Ever. Also in 1983, he starred in the music video for The Motels hit song "
Suddenly Last Summer
''Suddenly Last Summer'' is a one-act play by Tennessee Williams, written in New York in 1957. It opened off Broadway on January 7, 1958, as part of a double bill with another of Williams' one-acts, ''Something Unspoken'' (written in London in ...
" as lead singer Martha Davis' love interest.
Carradine's biggest film success to date came in 1984 when he starred in ''
Revenge of the Nerds
''Revenge of the Nerds'' is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley, and Bernie Casey. The film's plot chronicles a group of nerds at the fictional Adams College trying ...
'' as the lead nerd Lewis Skolnick. To prepare for the comedy, Carradine spent time at The University of Arizona, where the movie was filmed, participating in rush week. "No fraternity picked him, convincing Carradine that he was indeed right for the part of the nerd that nobody wanted to claim as their own." Carradine reprised the role of Skolnick in three sequels, taking over as executive producer in the latter two. In 2018, Carradine joined
Andrew Cassese
Andrew Martin Cassese (born February 12, 1972) is an American stage and film actor and musician. Born in New York, Cassese is perhaps best known for starring in the 1984 comedy film ''Revenge of the Nerds'' as child prodigy Harold Wormser. In 200 ...
and
Don Gibb in an interview at the Niagara Falls Comic Con. In 2001, he played Donald Keeble in ''
Max Keeble's Big Move
''Max Keeble's Big Move'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Tim Hill, written by David L. Watts, James Greer, Jonathan Bernstein and Mark Blackwell and starring Alex D. Linz, Larry Miller, Jamie Kennedy, Nora Dunn, and Robert Carradin ...
''. In 2000 he co-starred with
Caroline Rhea
Caroline Gilchrist Rhea (; born April 13, 1964) is a Canadian actress and stand-up comedian, who is best known for her role as Hilda Spellman on the ABC series ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch''.
She has performed numerous comedy specials, including t ...
in ''
Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire
''Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire'' is a 2000 American made-for-television horror-comedy film directed by Steve Boyum and starring Caroline Rhea, Matt O'Leary, Charles Shaughnessy, Laura Vandervoort, and Robert Carradine. It aired as a Disney C ...
''. He reprised his role as Sam McGuire in ''
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
''The Lizzie McGuire Movie'' is a 2003 American Teen film, teen comedy film directed by Jim Fall. The film serves as the finale of the Disney Channel Lizzie McGuire, television series of the same name, and was the first theatrical film based on ...
'' in 2003.
Television
Carradine's first television appearance was in 1971, on the classic Western series ''
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
''. He also appeared on his brother David's series ''
Kung Fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
'' as Sunny Jim, the mute companion of Serenity Johnson, played by his father John Carradine, in an episode titled ''Dark Angel'' (1972). In 1979, he was alongside
Melissa Sue Anderson
Melissa Sue Anderson (born September 26, 1962) is an American-Canadian actress. She began her career as a child actress after appearing in several commercials in Los Angeles. Anderson is known for her role as Mary Ingalls in the NBC drama series ...
in ''
Survival of Dana''.
In 1984, Carradine played Robert Cohn in the television mini-series version of
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
's ''
The Sun Also Rises
''The Sun Also Rises'' is a 1926 novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, his first, that portrays American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the bu ...
''. He appeared in the 1987 HBO mini-series ''Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8''. He was also a guest star in an episode of ''
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
'' titled ''Gone'' (2005, Season 4, Episode 11), portraying a character based very loosely on
Bobby Fischer
Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11 ...
. He also appeared in ''
Jane Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are ofte ...
'', a TV series directed by
James A. Contner
James Atwater Contner (born June 12, 1947) is an American film, television director and cinematographer. His work includes episodes of such television series as ''Miami Vice'', ''Angel'', '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', '' Firefly'', ''The X-File ...
, in 2007.
He played father Sam McGuire on ''
Lizzie McGuire
''Lizzie McGuire'' is an American comedy television series created by Terri Minsky that premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001. The series stars Hilary Duff as the titular character, who navigates the personal and social issues of her te ...
'' from 2001 to 2004. The show starred
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...
as Lizzie and was widely popular among girls. The show's realistic approach to the problems of a 13-year-old girl also appealed to parents.
He appeared in the ''
ER'' episode "Sleepless in Chicago" alongside ''Nerds'' co-star
Anthony Edwards.
In January 2013, he and former ''Revenge of the Nerds'' co-star
Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor and singer best known for playing the role of Booger in the ''Revenge of the Nerds'' movies, Herbert Viola on the TV series ''Moonlighting'', Miles Dalby in the film '' Risky Busines ...
hosted ''
King of the Nerds
''King of the Nerds'' is an American reality competition series co-produced by Electus and 5x5 Media. It was inspired by the ''Revenge of the Nerds'' films. The show is hosted by actors and executive producers Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstr ...
'' on
TBS, a reality TV series in which a group of nerds compete to find out which one is the nerdiest.
In 2015, he appeared on a fourth season episode of ''
Celebrity Wife Swap
''Wife Swap'' is an American reality television program that was first broadcast on ABC in 2004 based on the British show with the same name. In the program, two families, usually from different social classes and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers ...
'' with
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
wide receiver
Terrell Owens
Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...
.
Personal life
Carradine has two daughters, actress
Ever Carradine
Ever Dawn Carradine is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Tiffany Porter and Kelly Ludlow on the ABC television series '' Once and Again'' and '' Commander in Chief'', respectively and as Naomi Putnam and Janet Stein on the Hu ...
(with Susan Snyder), Marika Reed Carradine with his ex-wife Edie Mani, and a son, Ian Alexander Carradine. He is also the uncle (via his older brother Keith) of actress
Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress. Her feature-film debut was in '' Rollover'' (1981); she subsequently rose to prominence in the Richard Donner film ''The Goonies'' (1985). She has also appeared in '' The Mosquito ...
.
Carradine participated in the
Rolex 24
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layout ...
race at Daytona in 2000, finishing 29th in the GTU class and 61st overall.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Robert Carradine Producer Profile for The 1 Second Film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carradine, Robert
1954 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
Carradine family
Living people
Male actors from Hollywood, Los Angeles
Racing drivers from California
Racing drivers from Los Angeles