Stars we lost in 2023: actor Adam Rich from 'Eight is Enough'

Adam Rich, the former child actor best known for his role in the hit television series 'Eight Is Enough,' died on Jan. 7, 2023 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 54.

The L.A. coroner's office report later indicated that Adam died of an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.

The 'Eight is Enough' actor is not the only one celebrity who has died from an accident fentanyl overdose in recent years. Musician Tom Petty, singer Prince, hip hop artist Mac Miller, rapper Coolio and 'The Wire' actor Michael K. Williams are just a few others who have fallen victim to the drug's deadly power.

Sadly, his lifeless body was found inside a bathroom in his apartment in a "state of mild decomposition," according to the medical examiner's report, as provided by TMZ.

But let's look at who he was and the life that brought him to that tragic moment.

Rich was born on Oct. 12, 1968, in Brooklyn, New York and began acting as a child. He appeared in several TV shows and movies, including 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and 'The Love Boat.' Here, he's pictured in 1977 with his parents.

From 1977 to 1981, Rich starred as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest of eight children, on the hit television series 'Eight Is Enough.' The show aired on ABC for five seasons and dealt with family drama such as the death of a parent, remarriage, and tensions among siblings.

From the time he was eight, Rich charmed audiences around the world with his pageboy haircut, inspiring a generation of boys to rock the same look. He was so beloved that he was dubbed "America's little brother" in the media.

After 'Eight Is Enough' finished, Rich appeared in a number of other television shows and movies, including 'Fantasy Island,' 'CHiPs,' 'St. Elsewhere,' and 'Silver Spoons' but never reached the same level of fame. Here, he's with actress Lori Loughlin in 1985.

Rich struggled with substance abuse since he was a young adult. In 1991, he was arrested for attempting to break into a pharmacy. Actor D. Van Patten, who played his dad on 'Eight is Enough' bailed him out, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

In 1996, he was in cahoots with the author Dave Eggers, who wrote a hoax article about how Rich was killed in a nightclub robbery. The article was supposed to be a satire on America's obsession with celebrities, but Rich eventually came clean as being alive.

Although Rich went to rehab on several occasions, in 2002, he was again arrested for driving under the influence after nearly hitting a parked police car in California. But in October 2022, he tweeted he'd been sober for seven years.

Adam Rich suffered from a type of depression that defied treatment and was outspoken about trying to erase the stigma around discussing mental illness, according to his publicist Danny Deraney.

Rich was an active user of Twitter, sharing pictures of his dog Mordecai, cheering on his favorite baseball team The Dodgers, and sharing his support for Ukraine over the past couple of months. He also tweeted about mental health.

"Human beings weren't built to endure mental illness. The mere fact that some people consider those to be weak, or have a lack of will is totally laughable… because it's the total opposite! It's takes a very, very strong person… a warrior if you will… to battle such illnesses," he retweeted in mid-December.

In a December reply to the previous tweet, he urged his 19,000 followers to heal: "The only thing those suffering from a mental illness know how to do is pretend to be ok. Enough! The stigma is killing people. Be yourself. Ok, or not ok, is the only way to create change, & stomp the stigma! Heal your truth!"

Upon hearing of Riche's death, the actor's publicist Deraney told AP that he and others were worried about Rich after being unable to reach the former child star for weeks. "He was just a very kind, generous, loving soul… Being a famous actor is not necessarily what he wanted to be... He had no ego, not an ounce of it."

On her Instagram, Betty Buckley, who played Rich's stepmother on 'Eight is Enough,' praised her colleague and said they were still friends. "Rich was a light… I adored him and loved working with him… He was so sweet, funny, fresh and natural."

Emmy-winning actor Chad Lowe (pictured with Rich in 1987), also paid tribute to his friend on Twitter: "There was no bigger child star in his day. Later in life, he was very open about his mental health struggles. Through it all, Adam was always such a sweet, kindhearted guy."

According to the World Health Organization, around 5% of adults suffer from depression. That's around 280 million people globally. When recurrent and with moderate or severe intensity, it can become a serious and deadly health condition. Effective treatments do exist, and anyone suffering from symptoms is encouraged to reach out to a professional or crisis line for help.

Photo: Annie Spratt/ Unsplash