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Vale: Adam Rich

Former US child star Adam Rich, best known for Eight Is Enough, has died.

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Former US child star Adam Rich, best known for Eight Is Enough, has died, aged 54.

Rich died on Saturday at his home, the Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner’s office has confirmed.

While his death was not considered to be suspicious, it is under under investigation by authorities.

Rich starred as Nicholas Bradford, on Eight Is Enough from 1977 – 1981, the youngest son of TV parents played by Dick Van Patten & Betty Buckley. His distinctive ‘pageboy ‘ haircut inspired thousands of boys from the era to replicate his style.

He would go on to feature in US shows such as Code Red, Fantasy Island, CHiPs, St. Elsewhere, Silver Spoons, Small Wonder, Baywatch and The Six Million Dollar Man. He also reprised his character in two Eight is Enough reunions.

Growing up, Rich also struggled with substance abuse, attending drug rehabilitation at least three times and being arrested for driving under the influence. In October he noted that he’d been sober for seven years.

His publicist Danny Deraney, also issued a statement on social media that Rich suffered from a type of depression that defied treatment and he had tried to erase the stigma of talking about mental illness.

“Being a famous actor is not necessarily what he wanted to be … He had no ego, not an ounce of it,” he said.

“Adam was simply a wonderful guy,” he said.

“He was kind, generous and a warrior in the fight against mental illness.

“He was unselfish and always looked out for those he cared about … which is why many people who grew up with him feel a part of their their childhood gone, and sad today.”

 

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Source: Wikipedia, ABC.

Updated.

4 Responses

  1. I used to love Eight Is Enough back in the day though the show sort of just vanished it never got re-runs or anything?. Maybe on Foxtel it did I guess.

    He also came to Australia as a Logies guest in 1981.

    1. What good taste we had “back in the day” or showing our age. My favourite was Grant Goodeve who played David. He became a secret crush and teen idol. I believe he sang the theme song and I do believe his character was first played by Mark Hamill. The show was based on a book a newspaper writer wrote about having eight children.

      1. Mark Hamill…the night the pilot aired, he was involved in a serious auto accident where he sustained serious facial injuries and was forced to quit the show.

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