Robert Carradine Net Worth (2026)

I’ll be straight with you: I wasn’t planning to write this today. But Robert Carradine died yesterday — February 23, 2026 — and I kept seeing headlines that felt like they were missing the actual story. Yes, he was Lewis Skolnick. Yes, his net worth was surprisingly modest for someone so recognizable. But there’s a lot more to untangle here.

So here’s what I found — real numbers, real context, no fluff.

Quick Snapshot

So What Was Robert Carradine Actually Worth?

The number that keeps coming up — and the one I trust most — is $300,000. That’s the Celebrity Net Worth figure, and it’s supported by what we know publicly about his career trajectory. Some sources push it toward $1 million when you factor in residuals and assets that don’t always make it into public records. I’d say the honest range is somewhere between the two.

For someone whose face was on movie posters and TV screens for over 50 years, that might sound low. It is low. And understanding why requires a quick look at how Hollywood actually pays people — especially in the eras when Robert was doing his best work.

The Revenge of the Nerds Problem

Revenge of the Nerds (1984) cost about $8 million to make and earned nearly $40 million at the domestic box office. It became a cable TV staple that hasn’t stopped airing in 40 years. Robert played the lead. And yet — he walked away with a flat fee, not a piece of the profits.

That was standard for ensemble comedies in the early 80s. Actors at his level didn’t get gross participation deals. They got paid, they moved on, and the studio kept the upside. The sequels (he did three more, and produced two of them) were TV movies with budgets to match. Good credits. Not life-changing money.

Lizzie McGuire Was Steady, Not Spectacular

His biggest TV role — Sam McGuire on Lizzie McGuire from 2001 to 2004 — was genuinely beloved. The show had a massive audience. Disney Channel supporting adult cast members in that era typically earned somewhere in the $20,000–$50,000 per episode range. Over 65 episodes, that’s real money. But it’s not retire-forever money, especially once you account for taxes, agents, and the years of slower work that followed.

What Actually Hurt His Finances

Two things. First, a serious car accident in March 2015 that hospitalized both him and his wife Edie. The aftermath — medical costs, reduced work capacity, and the divorce proceedings that followed — took a real financial toll. Court documents from the divorce reportedly revealed they’d already burned through $70,000 from a Celebrity Wife Swap appearance. That’s the kind of detail that tells you the financial picture wasn’t comfortable.

Second, the indie work that filled his later years simply doesn’t pay well. He kept working — right up to 2026 — but independent films rarely offer significant actor fees. Residuals from Nerds and Lizzie McGuire probably kept things stable, but not much more than that.

Where the Money Came From

The Career, Quickly

Robert Carradine was born into Hollywood’s most unusual acting dynasty. His father was John Carradine — 300+ film credits, a horror and western legend. His brothers were Keith (Tony Award winner) and David (Kung Fu, Kill Bill). Robert was, in his own words, the youngest and probably the least famous of them. He was also, by some accounts, one of the most naturally gifted.

He made his film debut opposite John Wayne in The Cowboys (1972). He appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets. He was in Hal Ashby’s Coming Home (1978), an Oscar-winning Vietnam drama alongside Jane Fonda and Jon Voight — and his performance got people asking if he might actually be the best actor in the family.

Then came 1984 and Lewis Skolnick. Revenge of the Nerds turned him into a pop culture fixture overnight. He reprised the role in three sequels over the next decade, stepped into the producer chair for the later ones, and spent the rest of his career building one of the more genuinely diverse filmographies you’ll find — war films, westerns, Disney family TV, indie drama, genre horror.

His daughter Ever Carradine followed him into the industry and has had a strong career of her own, including a recurring role on The Handmaid’s Tale. The family name carries on.

The Part That Matters Most

Robert’s family confirmed he died by suicide after nearly two decades of battling Bipolar Disorder. His brother Keith spoke directly about it — he didn’t want it to be a footnote or a whispered explanation. He wanted people to know.

“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it. 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.” — Keith Carradine, to Deadline, February 23, 2026

The 2015 car accident was connected to his mental health struggles — divorce documents later alleged he’d intentionally caused the crash during a severe episode. He was eventually formally diagnosed as bipolar. He fought it for years. He kept working. He made it to 71.

If you’re struggling: call or text 988. The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available around the clock. You don’t have to be in crisis to call.

The Bottom Line

Robert Carradine’s net worth was around $300,000 at the time of his death — a number that says less about his talent than it does about how the entertainment industry distributes its rewards. He was in a franchise that earned tens of millions. He appeared in an Oscar-winning film. He played a father figure to an entire generation of Disney kids. And he ended up with roughly what a decent used car costs.

Hollywood economics are weird and often unfair, and Robert Carradine’s financial story is a pretty clear example of that. But what he left behind — the laughs, the characters, the 55-year career — that’s worth a lot more than any number on a balance sheet.

Rest easy, Lewis.

Sources

Celebrity Net Worth (https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/robert-carradine-net-worth/) · Urban Splatter (https://www.urbansplatter.com/2025/05/robert-carradine-net-worth/) · Wikipedia — Robert Carradine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Carradine) · Deadline obituary, February 23, 2026. All net worth figures are estimates. Published February 24, 2026.