Film
Carradine made his film debut in 1972 in The Cowboys with John Wayne. [9] 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 film Mean Streets 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-inspired Americana which was not released until 1983. [8]
In 1976, Carradine had the opportunity to demonstrate on screen what he considered to be his "first ambition", car racing, [7] when he played Jim Cantrell in Paul Bartel's Cannonball . 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 imitation film Orca . [10]
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's Oscar-winning Vietnam War drama, Coming Home , which starred Jane Fonda and Jon Voight. His performance caused some speculation that he might be the best actor in his family. [7]
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 (1980) along with three other sets of acting brothers: Stacy and James Keach, Dennis and Randy Quaid, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest. [11]
Also in 1980, Carradine co-starred with Mark Hamill and Lee Marvin in Samuel Fuller's The Big Red One recounting Fuller's World War II experience. His character, who was based on Fuller himself, narrated the film. [12]
In 1983, he and Cherie Currie starred in the science fiction movie Wavelength in which he played a washed up rock star who helps extraterrestrials escape from a military base. [13] 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" 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 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." [14] Carradine reprised the role of Skolnick in three sequels, taking over as executive producer in the latter two. In 2018, Carradine joined Andrew Cassese and Don Gibb in an interview at the Niagara Falls Comic Con. [15] In 2001, he played Donald Keeble in Max Keeble's Big Move . In 2000, he co-starred with Caroline Rhea in Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire . He reprised his role as Sam McGuire in The Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003.
Television
Carradine's first television appearance was in 1971, on the classic Western series Bonanza . He also appeared on his brother David's series Kung Fu 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 in Survival of Dana . [8] In 1984, Carradine played Robert Cohn in the television mini-series version of Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises . [16] He appeared in the 1987 HBO mini-series Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8. [17] He was also a guest star in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent titled Gone (2005, Season 4, Episode 11), portraying a character based very loosely on Bobby Fischer. He also appeared in Jane Doe , a TV series directed by James A. Contner, in 2007.
He played father Sam McGuire on Lizzie McGuire from 2001 to 2004. The show starred Hilary Duff 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. [18] [19]
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 hosted King of the Nerds 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 with Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens.
