{"id":49357,"date":"2026-02-25T09:39:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=49357"},"modified":"2026-02-25T09:39:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:39:46","slug":"hilary-duff-shares-heartbreaking-tribute-to-lizzie-mcguire-dad-robert-carradine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/02\/hilary-duff-shares-heartbreaking-tribute-to-lizzie-mcguire-dad-robert-carradine.html","title":{"rendered":"Hilary Duff Shares Heartbreaking Tribute to \u2018Lizzie McGuire\u2019 Dad Robert Carradine"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_49411\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49411\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/02\/Robert-Carradine_credit-mwood99-Shutterstock-Inset-Featureflash-Photo-Agency-Shutterstock.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-49411\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/02\/Robert-Carradine_credit-mwood99-Shutterstock-Inset-Featureflash-Photo-Agency-Shutterstock.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49411\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">mwood99 \/ Shutterstock.com | Inset: Featureflash Photo Agency \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hilary Duff and her &#8220;Lizzie McGuire&#8221; family are grieving the loss of Robert Carradine, the beloved actor who played her on-screen father, Sam McGuire. Carradine died at 71 after what his family described as a nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder, a struggle they hope will help break stigma around mental illness.<\/p>\n<p>For many who grew up watching &#8220;Lizzie McGuire,&#8221; Carradine wasn\u2019t just a sitcom dad \u2014 he embodied the warmth and steadiness of a loving parent. Duff\u2019s emotional tribute captured the deep bond formed during the show\u2019s early-2000s run.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis one hurts,\u201d Duff wrote on Instagram. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to face this reality about an old friend. There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I\u2019ll be forever grateful for that. I\u2019m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family and everyone who loved him.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DVITYLOFCMT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DVITYLOFCMT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Hilary Duff (@hilaryduff)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Jake Thomas, who played Lizzie\u2019s mischievous younger brother Matt, echoed that sense of family in his own tribute. \u201cMy heart hurts today,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI was fortunate to know Bobby for most of my life. And he was one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.\u201d Thomas called Carradine \u201cfamily,\u201d adding that their shared years brought \u201cgood moments, challenging moments and lots of laughs in between.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beyond his television legacy, Carradine\u2019s real-life family shared moving reflections that painted a portrait of a deeply devoted father and gentle soul. His daughter, actress Ever Carradine, described him as present in every ordinary moment \u2014 the kind of dad who never missed a chance to show up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy sweet, funny dad \u2026 who never missed an opportunity to drive me to the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing, is gone,\u201d she wrote. \u201cIf you knew my dad, you know he\u2019s the guy that\u2019s always there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She credited him with shaping her character and outlook on life, writing, \u201cWhenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it\u2019s because of my dad. I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones.\u201d Ever added that one of the most \u201cfoundational\u201d lessons he taught her was forgiveness: \u201cWhat a waste of time it is to hold a grudge. My dad was a lover, not a fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Actress Martha Plimpton, Carradine\u2019s niece, emphasized the same quality that so many tributes returned to \u2014 kindness. \u201cHe had inherent KINDNESS in him,\u201d she wrote. \u201cHe was dear, and loving, and nonjudgmental. \u2026 He never lost his decency, or his heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carradine\u2019s family described him as a \u201cbeacon of light\u201d who fought a \u201cvaliant struggle\u201d with bipolar disorder. Their openness about his mental health battle has resonated with fans and colleagues alike, turning grief into a broader conversation about compassion and understanding.<\/p>\n<p>For Christian audiences, the outpouring of love surrounding Carradine\u2019s life carries a familiar truth: a person\u2019s legacy is ultimately measured not by fame but by how they love others. Again and again, those who knew him best spoke not of awards or roles, but of presence, gentleness, and unwavering care.<\/p>\n<p>In a world often marked by conflict and division, Ever Carradine\u2019s closing words feel especially poignant: \u201cI think we can all take a page out of his book today, open our hearts and feel and share the love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert Carradine spent decades entertaining audiences, but those closest to him remember something even more lasting \u2014 a man whose heart remained open, whose kindness endured, and whose life quietly reflected the power of love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hilary Duff and her &#8220;Lizzie McGuire&#8221; family are grieving the loss of Robert Carradine, the beloved actor who played her on-screen father, Sam McGuire. Carradine died at 71 after what his family described as a nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder, a struggle they hope will help break stigma around mental illness. For many who&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":49411,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hilary Duff Shares Heartbreaking Tribute to \u2018Lizzie McGuire\u2019 Dad Robert Carradine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hilary Duff penned an emotional tribute to her former &quot;Lizzie McGuire&quot; co-star and on-screen father, Robert Carradine, after his death at 71.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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