'Eight Is Enough' star Adam Rich has died at age 54
Adam Rich, best known for his role as Nicholas Bradford on the popular TV series Eight Is Enough, died at age 54 on Saturday. The actor rose to stardom in the beloved series, which first hit television screens in 1977.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office confirmed Rich's death to Yahoo Entertainment on Sunday morning. The cause of death is currently described as "not available," but officials stated that the place of death is a residence.
Page Six is reporting that there was "no foul play," and that Rich was "found lifeless by an unidentified person who came to his residence."
Eight Is Enough, which ran until 1981, starred Dick Van Patten as the patriarch of the Bradford family, which boasted eight children. Rich, known for his shaggy haircut, portrayed Nicholas, the youngest of the bunch.
As Rich aged he continued to perform, appearing in several sitcoms like Silver Spoons and Small Wonder through the 1980s. He also performed significant voice-over work, serving as the voice of Presto the Magician in the Dungeons & Dragons animated series.
Acting credits were few and far between in later years, and the former child star struggled with substance abuse as an adult. But Rich continued to look back on his acting career fondly. In 2021, he took to his Instagram page to reflect on being included in CNN's History of the Sitcom retrospective, a program that looked at the television shows that played a significant role in American culture.
"Honored to be included! Thanks CNN," Rich captioned an Instagram video, in which he can be heard watching along with the show. "I’m grateful for the joy felt while working on [Eight Is Enough]! … I do hope it may have brought you some joy as well."
Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to representatives for Rich but did not receive a comment at the time of publication.
