‘Eight Is Enough’ star Adam Rich dies at 54

Adam Rich was best known for his portrayal of Nicholas Bradford on 'Eight Is Enough'. Photo: TNS

Adam Rich, a former child star who played the youngest kid on Eight Is Enough, died Saturday (Jan 7) at age 54, according to a report.

The actor died at his home in Southern California, an unnamed family member told TMZ without releasing a cause of death.

Officials don’t suspect foul play after Rich was found at the home, a law enforcement source told the site. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.

Rich was best known for his portrayal of Nicholas Bradford on Eight Is Enough, an ABC comedy-drama series centering on a California family with eight kids.

The show starred Dick Van Patten as the family’s patriarch and a newspaper columnist who was based on a real-life father of eight.

The series aired for five seasons from 1977 to 1981, with Rich appearing on all 112 episodes and garnering widespread attention for his character’s pageboy haircut.

Rich had more than 20 acting credits during his career, including significant roles on the series Dungeons & Dragons and Code Red and multiple episodes of Small Wonder, but largely stepped away from the industry as he got older.

The actor’s legal troubles as an adult included a 1991 arrest for suspicion of burglary at a Los Angeles pharmacy. Van Patten bailed out Rich, who battled substance issues, after that incident, according to TMZ.

Rich’s most recent TV roles came in 2003, when he appeared on episodes of Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star and Reel Comedy. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service