Adam Rich, ‘Eight Is Enough’ Actor, Cause of Death Revealed as Fentanyl Overdose

Etan Vlessing
·1 min read
14
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A coroner’s investigation into the death of Adam Rich determined the Eight Is Enough child star died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl.

Rich, the former ’70s and ’80s child star best known for his page-boy haircut and role on the ABC dramedy, died five months ago, on Jan. 7, at age 54, and his body was discovered at his Los Angeles residence.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner said in its report that the death was from effects of the powerful opioid. The cause and manner of the child star’s death was ruled an accident.

Rich’s TV credits included The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The City and 3-2-1. But he was best known for his role over five seasons on the ABC dramedy Eight Is Enough, which starred Dick Van Patten, and played Nicholas Bradford beginning at 8 years old. The show kicked off a nearly three-decade screen career for Rich.

After the conclusion of the ABC series, he continued his small-screen career, most notably voicing Presto the Magician in the 1983 animated adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons and recurring as Danny Blake in the single-season family firefighter drama Code Red in 1981.

Rich battled substance abuse issues in his adult life. In the early ’90s, he was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a West Hills pharmacy and earlier received five years probation after pleading guilty to drunk driving.

Rich entered a rehabilitation program in 1992 before having another substance-related run-in with police during the early 2000s, and he spent his remaining adult life in recovery.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.