Actor Adam Rich, best known for his part in the movie Eight Is Enough, has passed away. He was 54.
Rich was discovered dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday (Jan. 7), according to TMZ; although the cause of death was not immediately known, a law enforcement source informed the outlet they do not believe foul play was involved.
Rich gained notoriety as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest member of the fake TV family featured in Eight Is Enough. He made appearances on the program from 1977 to 1981, but left the business in the 1980s after appearing in a few other ventures, such as Code Red and Dungeons & Dragons.
After hearing the news of the actor’s passing, Betty Buckley, who played Rich’s stepmother on Eight Is Enough, wrote a tribute to him on Instagram, recalling him as “a light” for the four seasons they spent working together.
I adored him and enjoyed collaborating with him in our on-screen scenes. He was so endearing, humorous, young, and authentic. He made everyone on the show and our viewers very happy, she stated. “All these years, Adam and I have stayed friends. I have always valued his affection and support greatly. The news of his passing that I learned this morning astounded me. I’m sending my condolences and my love to his friends and family.
“In recent years, Adam committed himself to serving as an example for people dealing with mental and emotional disease,” Buckley concluded. He will be sorely missed by me.
Rich was also honored by his publicist Danny Deraney, who shared a statement on Twitter, where he told his followers, “If you knew Adam, you just loved the guy.”
Deraney shared, in part, “Adam was simply a wonderful guy. He was kind, generous and a warrior in the fight against mental illness. Adam did not have an ounce of ego. He was unselfish and always looked out for those he cared about.”
Rich openly struggled with substance abuse after Eight Is Enough, and was arrested twice in 1991 — once for trying to break into a pharmacy, and later for allegedly stealing from a hospital — and again in 2002, after driving under the influence, per The Associated Press.
The actor shared on Twitter in October that he was seven years sober, and shared encouraging words with his followers.
He wrote, “Human beings weren’t built to endure mental illness,” per AP. “The mere fact that some people consider those to be weak, or have a lack of will is totally laughable … because it’s the total opposite! It’s takes a very, very strong person … a warrior if you will … to battle such illnesses.”
»Bradford Dies at 54 ‘Eight Is Enough’s Nicholas«