The youngest actor of Eight is Enough, Adam Rich has passed away. Police say that they found his body lifeless in his L.A. home on Saturday, but they have no cause of death as of it. They suspect no foul play.
When Eight is Enough hit the television in 1977, nine-year-old Adam Rich was already on his way to becoming a child star. Before being cast as Nicholas Bradford, he had been chosen to play the role of Bob in an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man. He also starred in The Love Boat and The Devil and Max Devlin while filming the family series that aired until its final episode in 1981. He was also known for Code Red and Dungeons & Dragons before eventually walking away from acting and the celebrity status he had grown to loathe.
Fans of the fondly remembered actor, who passed away at the age of 54, are sharing their heartfelt tributes to honor Rich.
Reports of him having a tough life after the show include, as UPI reports, a series of arrests that also include the one time he broke into a pharmacy to steal morphine. His television father, Dick Van Patten, came to bail him out and addressed some of his issues — after Eight is Enough ended, Rich found himself trying and failing to find more work as he had grown into an awkward stage of being a teen who was hard to cast. Trying to live a normal life, he returned to high school at the age of 15 and fell into a bad crowd.
“The Nicholas” became a household name as kids everywhere during that time were sporting the haircut made famous by Adam Rich. A bowl between a mullet might be the best way to describe it and it soon became a trend.
It might make fans feel old when they realize that the show ended over 40 years ago, but growing up watching any show makes it a part of a fan’s life. Eight is Enough might have only aired for five seasons, but its impact on those lucky enough to watch it and remember it was huge.
It’s always a shame when fans lose a celebrity who touched their lives so much. They might not have been thinking about him yesterday or last week, but the admiration was always there and his sudden demise has left everyone feeling his absence.
Not only did he provide wholesome family entertainment in the 70s and early 80s, but he also gave a generation of kids albums full of pictures of them sporting his iconic haircut that they can look back on with fondness. Rest in peace, Adam Rich.