Rich played Nicholas Bradford in the series as a child star, and also had recurring roles in Dungeons & Dragons and Code Red

Adam Rich, the former child star who played Nicholas Bradford in ABC’s Eight Is Enough, has died at age 54, TMZ reports.

Rich appeared on the show throughout its five-season run from 1977 to 1981, where he portrayed the pageboy-haired son of Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten).

According to TMZ and CNN, Rich died Saturday in his Los Angeles home, with a law enforcement source telling the outlet that his death was not foul play. Reps for Rich did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Rich’s manager shared a statement about the late actor via Twitter, saying in part, “If you knew Adam, you just loved the guy. And oh, the stories he could tell.”

Thank you all for reaching out regarding Adam Rich.

If you knew Adam, you just loved the guy. And oh the stories he could tell.

Here is my statement: pic.twitter.com/3OITGnESuf

— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) January 8, 2023

While playing the youngest son in the series — and before taking on several other roles through the late ’70s and ’80s — the actor appeared on the cover of the Dec. 3, 1979 issue of PEOPLE magazine with costars Van Patten, Grant Goodeve, and Willie Aames. The story detailed the road to the show’s success, from the death of the original series’ mother, Diana Hyland, just four episodes into Eight is Enough, to Mark Hamill exiting his role after a car accident before the premiere. After tragedy and casting changes, the show managed to become a hit on ABC, with 112 episodes in total aired.

Van Patten, who died in 2015, called the then-child star “the most intelligent person on the show and very sweet, careful of people’s feelings, which is rare in children.”

“Dick’s like your father, only he’s not bossy,” Rich told PEOPLE as a kid of his costar. “He laughs at all my jokes.”

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After the success of the show, Rich went on to appear in several other series, including ABC’s Code Red in 1981 and 1983’s Dungeons & Dragons, in which he voiced teenage wizard Presto, the Magician.

In the late ’80s, he appeared in both television films Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion and An Eight Is Enough Wedding. During the first special, released in 1987, Rich was 18 years old and told PEOPLE he got “a lot less cute” in the years since filming the hit show. At the time, he moved into his own apartment in Sherman Oaks, where Van Patten was his landlord, in an effort to further pursue acting.

Rich later made a few appearances in TV and film in the ’90s and ’00s, before being listed in VH1’s list of the greatest 100 kid stars at No. 71.

Adam Rich, a young actor best known for playing “America’s little brother” on “Eight is Enough,” passed away at 54. According to Lt. Aimee Earl of the Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner’s office, Rich died away at his residence in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Although the reason for death is being looked into, it is not seen to be suspicious.

When he played Nicholas Bradford, the youngest of eight children, in the ABC smash dramedy “Eight is Enough,” from 1977 to 1981, Rich gained notoriety at 8. Rich had great success on the show, but after it ended, he had trouble sustaining an acting career.

Rich was detained for DUI in 2002 after almost colliding with a California Highway Patrol cruiser parked in a lane closed for construction.

He was arrested in 1991 for attempting to break into a drugstore, and in October of that same year, while receiving treatment for a dislocated shoulder, he was detained for allegedly taking a drug-filled syringe from the hospital.

Rich’s experiences with drug usage and legal troubles are sadly not unique among young child performers who achieve popularity. Being in the spotlight frequently brings an abundance of pressure and celebrity, which can have detrimental effects.

Rich will always be remembered for his part in “Eight is Enough” and the joy he offered to audiences, despite his troubles. On Instagram, Rich’s on-screen stepmother Betty Buckley, who played with him, shared her loving memories of him. She described him as a “light,” her “young pal” on set, and a friend ever since, and expressed her sadness at learning of his passing.

“I adored him and loved working with him,” Buckley gushed. “He was so endearing, witty, young, and genuine. He made everyone on the show, as well as the viewers, very happy.”

The passing of Adam Rich serves as a reminder of the difficulties young actors may encounter and the value of providing them with assistance as they work their way through the entertainment business. Even though Rich’s stint on “Eight is Enough” was brief, he will always be regarded as a beloved figure in the development of television.

Cause of death for Adam Rich, former “Eight is Enough” child star, ruled as fentanyl

The effects of fentanyl are considered the cause of death for Adam Rich, the child actor known as “America’s little brother” for his role on the hit family dramedy “Eight is Enough.”

The former television star’s death this January has been ruled an accident by the Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner’s office, according to an autopsy report. Rich died in his Los Angeles home at age 54.

His stardom came at just eight years old as the mop-topped son raised by a widower newspaper columnist, played by Dick Van Patten, in ABC’s “Eight is Enough.” He went on to appear in other shows, including “Code Red” and “Dungeons & Dragons” in the 1980s. He also appeared in single episodes of popular shows like “Baywatch” and “The Love Boat,” and reprised his “Eight is Enough” role in two TV movie reunions.

Rich had multiple run-ins with police related to drug and alcohol use. He was arrested in April 1991 for trying to break into a pharmacy and again that October for allegedly stealing a drug-filled syringe at a hospital while receiving treatment for a dislocated shoulder. A DUI arrest came in 2002 after he struck a parked California Highway Patrol cruiser in a closed freeway lane.

Rich had publicly discussed his experiences with depression and substance abuse in the months before he died. He tweeted in October that he had been sober for seven years after arrests, many rehab stints and several overdoses. He urged his followers to never give up.

When Rich died in January, his publicist, Danny Deraney, said that he had suffered from a type of depression that resisted treatment. He had tried to erase the stigma of talking about mental illness, Deraney said, and sought experimental cures to treat his depression.

“He was just a very kind, generous, loving soul,” Deraney said in a statement. “Being a famous actor is not necessarily what he wanted to be. … He had no ego, not an ounce of it.”

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Adam Rich’s Cause of Death Confirmed 5 Months After Former Child Star Was Found Dead in Home

‘Eight Is Enough’ child actor Adam Rich died on Jan. 8 at age 54

 

Adam Rich’s cause of death has been confirmed.

According to a report from the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s office, Rich died on Jan. 8 due to “effects of fentanyl.” The report listed the manner of his death as an accident.

Rich was just 54 years old when he was found dead inside his home earlier this year. His cause of death was initially deferred pending further investigation, but law enforcement sources claimed there was no sign of foul play when the actor’s body was discovered, TMZ reported.

Rich was best known for appearing in the 1970s television show Eight Is Enough as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest child of Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten) and his wife (Diana Hyland).

Other career highlights included appearing in ABC’s Code Red in 1981 and 1983’s Dungeons & Dragons, in which he voiced teenage wizard Presto the Magician. In the ’80s, he also appeared in the TV movies spin-offs Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion and An Eight Is Enough Wedding.

Because he was 18 at the time the movies began production, he joked to PEOPLE that he’d gotten “a lot less cute” since the original series.

 Willie Aames Says ‘I’m Gutted’ After ‘Eight Is Enough’ Costar Adam Rich’s Death: ‘My Only Little Brother’

Rich’s Eight Is Enough costars mourned his death in the days following the news, and revealed they kept close friendships with the child star in adulthood.

Willie Aames, who played Rich’s brother on the family show, wrote an emotional Facebook post about their friendship. “This morning [my wife] Winnie woke me with the heartbreaking news of Adam Rich’s passing,” he wrote. “I’m gutted. Adam was more than a colleague. He was very much my only little brother. A lifelong friend.”

In another part of the statement, Aames also revealed Rich was considering a return to acting before his death. “These last few years Adam had dreams of renewing his career. He was one of those kid actors that our generation will always remember.”

Costar Grant Goodeve opened up to PEOPLE about how spending time with Rich had “inspired” to pursue fatherhood.

“During Christmas week of 1977, my wife Debbie and I took Adam back to our family homes in Vermont,” he shared. “We had a great time and he was big hit with all our family and friends!” he continues. “We also taught him to ski, which he picked up very quickly. We were so inspired by our time with Adam that Debbie and I decided we wanted to have children and we were married the next spring.”

On-screen stepmother Betty Buckley also shared an Instagram tribute reading, “Adam Rich was a light and my young pal for the four seasons I was blessed to work with him on Eight Is Enough. I adored him and loved working with him in our scenes together on the show. He was so sweet, funny, fresh and natural. He brought a lot of joy to all of us on the show and to our audiences. Adam and I have remained friends all of these years. His love and support have always meant a lot to me.”

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