Robert Carradine halted “gung-ho” conversations about starring in a forthcoming movie weeks before his tragic death.
The “Lizzie McGuire” alum was scheduled to start working on “The Driver” as the mafia crime leader Antonio Politano when he ceased contact for about four weeks, director Connie Lamothe told the Daily Mail Sunday.
“The last conversation was positive and upbeat,” she said, explaining that he had talked to her colleagues in mid-January and was “good to go” for a table read.
“There was nothing that suggested otherwise,” Lamothe continued. “The discussion was mostly about specifics for the table read.
“[Robert] was very gung-ho about that. Wanted to come. Definitely wanted to do it. And so that was great. So we got everything all set. We had set the date for February 21.”
The filmmaker explained that Carradine was mostly in contact with his friend Wayne Shipley, whom Lamothe also works with, until the communication “just stopped.”
“There was just nothing more. No information period,” she said.
Lamothe shared that the lack of communication concerned her, but she wanted to give the Disney alum his space.
“Wayne and I were concerned about that, but some actors do that,” she explained. “Not to be unfair or unkind, but sometimes that just happens. We wanted to just kind of let it ride out a little bit and give him some space, depending on whatever was happening with him.”
Eventually, Lamothe decided to push the table read date to March 14, which Carradine was unaware of.
She shared that she hoped the “Escape from L.A.” star didn’t feel guilty or as if he let “everybody down.”
Lamothe revealed that the actor’s role will be recast and the film will be dedicated to him.
Carradine tragically took his own life on Feb. 23 following a years-long battle with bipolar disorder. He was 71.
The “Revenge of the Nerds” star was diagnosed after his brother David died in 2009 from asphyxiation, per TMZ.
He was the father to actress Ever Carradine — whom he shared with Susan Snyder — and kids Marika and Ian, whom he welcomed with his ex-wife, Edie Mani.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
