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‘Eight is Enough’ child star Adam Rich dead at 54

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Adam Rich: The actor played the youngest child on the late 1970s television series "Eight is Enough." (Albert Ortega/Getty Images )

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Actor Adam Rich, who portrayed the youngest child on the television series “Eight Is Enough,” died Saturday. He was 54.

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The Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner’s office confirmed Rich’s death to CNN. According to Lt. Aimee Earl, Rich died in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, The Associated Press reported. The cause of death was under investigation but was not considered to be suspicious.

A representative for the actor confirmed on Twitter that Rich had died,

“Adam was simply a wonderful guy. He was kind, generous and a warrior in the fight against mental illness,” Danny Deraney tweeted, according to Fox News.

According to IMDb.com, Rich appeared in all 112 episodes of the ABC series from 1977 to 1981 as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest child of series stars Dick Van Patten, who played Tom Bradford; and Lani O’Grady, who played Mary Bradford. He was just 8 years old during the series’ first season, ET Canada reported.

Eight is Enough: Adam Rich, front row, center, played Nicholas Bradford, the youngest member of the television family on "Eight is Enough." ( Jim Britt/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

TMZ was the first outlet to report the actor’s death. The website cited Rich’s family as the source of its report but did not reveal a cause of death.

Rich also appeared in the 1981 television show “Code Red” and the 1983 sitcom “Gun Shy,” and “Dungeons and Dragons” in 1983, according to IMDb.com.

Rich also made guest appearances on shows including “Baywatch,” “The Love Boat,” “CHiPs,” and “Fantasy Island,” and appeared on 1987′s “Eight is Enough: A Family Reunion” television movie in 1987.

His final credits include a cameo playing himself in the 2003 movie “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” and an appearance in a 2003 episode of “Reel Comedy,” where he portrayed Crocodile Dundee, according to Deadline.

The actor was arrested in 1991 for smashing a pharmacy window to obtain drugs, Deadline reported. He was bailed out of jail by Van Patten, according to the entertainment news outlet and the Los Angeles Times.

As a child, Rich appeared in commercials for Betty Crocker and Nabisco, TVLine reported.

He was born on Oct. 12, 1968, in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in California.

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