How 'upbeat' Robert Carradine vanished from final film weeks before death as director reveals last conversation
A filmmaker who was working on a movie with Robert Carradine just weeks before his death has described their last conversation and the moving way she now intends on honoring him.Director Connie Lamothe cast Carradine in The Driver, a mafia film in which he would have played the 'don', Antonio Politano. It was a movie Carradine was particularly excited to begin, and one that was finally beginning production after years of setbacks due to the pandemic. Now, in an exclusive interview with The Daily Mail, Lamothe has shared memories of working with 'Bobby' and plans to dedicate the movie to their late star.Carradine, who was part of the Carradine acting dynasty that includes his brother Keith and late half-brother David, died by suicide after a nearly 20-year long battle with bipolar disorder on Monday. He was 71. 'The last conversation was positive and upbeat,' she explained. 'He spoke to Wayne [Shipley, his friend/Lamothe's colleague] and was good to go. There was nothing that suggested otherwise. That was in the middle of January. The discussion was mostly about specifics for the table read.' Director Connie Lamothe has recalled her last conversation with Robert Carradine prior to his death at age 71. Pictured 2017Carradine was 'very gung-ho' about working on the film before abruptly ceasing communication for three to four weeks. 'Bobby was very gung-ho about that. Wanted to come. Definitely wanted to do it. And so that was great. So we got everything all set. We had set the date for February 21 and Wayne, to be honest, was doing most of the communicating with Bobby, and all of a sudden he just stopped,' she said. 'There was just nothing more. No information period.' Lamothe said they were 'concerned' about the lack of communication and decided to 'give him some space'. 'Wayne and I were concerned about that, but some actors do that,' she said. 'Not to be unfair or unkind, but sometimes that just happens. We wanted to just kind of let it ride out a little bit and give him some space, depending on whatever was happening with him. And so that's what we thought we were doing.'As they had not heard from Carradine, they went ahead and rescheduled the date of their table read. Lamothe said Carradine was unaware of the date change: 'So we didn't hear from him, so we decided we were going to go ahead and change the date, which we did. Bobby never knew that. He didn't know that the date changed to the 14th of March.''That, for me, was really upsetting, because when you don't know actually what the details are and what he may have been going through, I think that was just the hardest part for me was thinking that was thinking that. 'I hope, because he's an actor, that he did not have any guilt or just feelings about, "I know it was this weekend. I didn't go, I wasn't there. I let everybody down." And so I've kind of mulled that over a little bit and felt really bad about it.''To be frank, whatever happened, could have had absolutely not a thing in the world to do with what we were doing. I don't know that, but just being a person that cares, I just wouldn't want to think that.' While the role will now be recast, Lamothe will now be dedicating the film to Carradine - who she believes would have been 'absolutely outstanding' in the role. 'I'm really sad that we don't get to do that, but we're going to go ahead and make the [table] reading in his honor,' she said. 'We'll dedicate the film to him, without a doubt, because I think he deserved the part. And you know, just in my mind, he was that part,' she said. Carradine, pictured 2014, died by suicide after a decades-long battle with bipolar disorder Carradine was set to star as film's 'don', Antonio PolitanoAt their upcoming table read, Lamothe said they will likely say a prayer, talk about Carradine, and do a slideshow remembering their late castmate. 'We will definitely dedicate the film to him. And I think that we've decided that at the read, we're going to go ahead and... probably a prayer and just talk about it a little bit,' she said. 'Wayne was going to have somebody put together kind of a slideshow type thing. He's got some great photos of Bobby.''I do hope that once we get this thing done... that people will watch it and maybe think of him and kind of maybe can see him in that role.'Lamothe believes her film was the last project he had scheduled. 'As far as what I know and what I've been told, that was the last thing he had, you know?''It's a tragedy. I'm so, so deeply sorry for his family. They've already had so much that they've been through.'Carradine's family revealed his death in a somber statement issued to Deadline. The Revenge of the Nerds star is memorably known for playing Hilary Duff's father in Lizzie McGuire Carradine famously played the role of Sam McGuire on 65 episodes of the TV series Lizzie McGuire from 2001–2004They noted that Carradine had lived with and fought with bipolar disorder for two decades, but he ultimately took his own life.'It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,' his family announced on Monday.The statement continued, 'In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon of light to everyone around him.'Carradine's family said they were 'bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder.'We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.'At this time we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion,' the statement concluded.New details about his tragic passing came to light on Friday.According to a case file from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner obtained by Daily Mail, the Lizzie McGuire star died when in a Los Angeles hospital.The file also details that his death was by hanging which caused an anoxic brain injury, brought on by total oxygen deprivation.Robert began working as a child actor, with his first appearance in motion pictures coming in 1972 in The Cowboys with John Wayne.Robert also appeared in 1973's Main Street from feted filmmaker Martin Scorsese; and in the famed 1978 movie Coming Home with Jane Fonda and Jon Voight. Carradine portrayed Lewis Skolnick in the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds and subsequent sequels One of his most prominent roles came as Lewis Skolnick in the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds, which also starred Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong and Timothy Busfield.He reprised the roles for sequels such as 1987's Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise and two TV films: 1992's Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation and 1994's Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love.Carradine famously played the role of Sam McGuire on 65 episodes of the TV series Lizzie McGuire from 2001–2004, and in the 2003 motion picture based on the popular franchise with Hilary Duff in the titular role.Robert appeared alongside brothers David and Keith in 1980's The Long Riders, which also featured members of famed Hollywood acting families such as the Quaids, Guests and Keach family.If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org
