'Eight Is Enough' Actor Adam Rich Found Dead In His LA Home At 54

Thoughts and prayers are with Adam Rich's family and loved ones, as the actor passed away yesterday at the age of 54. The public got news of his death when a family member confirmed that the former child star had died in his home in Los Angeles.

Rich was best known for his role in the popular 1977 sitcom "Eight is Enough," which ran for five seasons until May 1981. Rich starred as one of the Bradford children, Nicholas, throughout the series.

The talented actor impressed viewers and fellow cast members with his fantastic performance in the series. While he contributed to the show's huge success, the star also made headlines for controversial reasons through the years. These included his substance abuse and arrest for breaking into a pharmacy to take drugs. 

Keep reading to find out more.

Rich was confirmed to have passed away in his LA home by his family members, according to TMZ. 

While a cause of death is yet to be identified, a law enforcement source shared with the news outlet that an unidentified person found him dead at his house upon visiting the actor. The source also assured there was no foul play involved.

The "Code Red" actor starred in several TV shows and commercials throughout over three decades of his career as an actor. However, he first rose to fame with his stellar performance in the "Eight is Enough" sitcom.

The actor, who was born on October 12th, 1968, played the eighth and youngest child of the Bradford family in the TV series. The show followed the coming of age and struggles of the independent children who grew up under their father, Tom. As time went on, they grew up, got married, and even had children of their own.

Several other popular actors like Lani O'Grady, Grant Goodeve, Dick Van Patten, and Connie Needham also starred in the show. Rich remained in his costars' minds years after his time on the show, as they still commended his performance decades after.

In a 2011 meeting with Television Academy Foundation, Van Patten told Stephen J. Abramson that Rich was a huge reason for the show's success. "I think he's why the show was a big success," he said. "People loved him! [fans] named a child Nicholas … because of him."

He also added that he fit the role perfectly as he was "cute" enough for the last-born part and equally a "good" and "very natural actor." Rich also showed his great acting skills in other TV shows.

While he performed amazingly on "Eight is Enough," Rich had credits in other shows like "Dungeons & Dragons," "Code Red," "Small Wonder," "Baywatch," and "St. Elsewhere."

His most recent credits included his short appearances in an episode of "Reel Comedy" as Crocodile Dundee in 2003 and his role as David Spade in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" that same year.

The star, who already had a successful career at a young age, struggled with substance abuse later in life. He even got in trouble and made several headlines because of it.

Rich got into some trouble with the authorities over substance abuse-related allegations. In 1992, the police arrested him for breaking into a West Hills pharmacy through the window. Via the LA Times, the actor was 22 years old when he smashed into the Medallion Prescription Pharmacy to take painkillers which he had an addiction to at the time.

The police, who responded to the pharmacy's security alarm, caught and arrested him around 4 am and also charged the star with reckless driving. Luckily for him, his TV father, Van Patten, bailed him out. Following this, he spent some time in rehab in an attempt to get better.

However, the star got arrested again a decade later, in 2002, for driving under the influence and almost hitting a California Patrol vehicle. Per CBS News, when asked about this in court, he denied all charges and insisted that he'd been clean from all substances for ten years.