‘Eight Is Enough’ Star Adam Rich Dies At 54

Former child star Adam Rich, who is remembered as “America’s little brother” on the family-themed dramedy Eight Is Enough, was found dead in his home in Los Angeles yesterday. He was 54. Family members confirmed the news to TMZ, but did not reveal a cause of death. No foul play is suspected.

Born on October 12, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Granada Hills, California, Adam Rich debuted on television as a guest star in The Six Million Dollar Man before landing the role of Nicholas Bradford, the youngest of the eight Bradford children, on ABC’s Eight Is Enough in 1977. Created in response to the success of The Waltons on CBS (and from the same production company), Eight Is Enough aired for five seasons and returned in the form of two TV movies: Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion in 1987 and An Eight Is Enough Wedding in 1989.

During his tenure on Eight Is Enough, Adam Rich also guest starred in the TV series Fantasy Island and CHiPs, and appeared in the 1981 movie The Devil and Max Devlin. Immediately following Eight Is Enough, he was cast opposite Lorne Greene in the ABC action/adventure Code Red, which aired for one season.

Rich, additionally, was a voice actor in the animated Dungeons & Dragons from 1983-85, and he made sporadic guest appearances in TV series like St. Elsewhere, Silver Spoons, Small Wonder and Baywatch.

After a 10 year absence, Rich returned on camera as himself in the 2003 David Spade comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, and he portrayed Crocodile Dundee in the TV series Reel Comedy that same year.

Unfortunately, Rich faced various personal problems phasing out of his child star status. He was arrested in 1991 for smashing a pharmacy window and was bailed out by his former TV father, Dick Van Patten. In 2002, he was arrested for driving under the influence, and he was reportedly in drug rehabilitation a few times.

Adam Rich is the second of the Bradford siblings from Eight Is Enough to pass away. The first was Lani O’Grady (the sister of My Three Sons star Don Grady and the oldest Bradford sister, Mary), who died in 2001 at the age of 46. Dick Van Patten died in 2015 at the age of 86. Diana Hyland, who portrayed Bradford matriarch Joan when Eight Is Enough began, passed away at the age of 41 during production of the first season.