Actress Martha Plimpton has paid a heartfelt tribute to her late uncle Robert Carradine. Actor Carradine tragically died by suicide on February 23, 2026, at the age of 71.
Plimpton is the daughter of Carradine’s brother, fellow actor Keith Carradine, and former actress and Broadway performer Shelley Plimpton.
Now 55, Plimpton, who played Stephanie “Stef” Steinbrenner in 1985’s iconic adventure comedy movie “The Goonies,” took to her Instagram account to share her tribute to her uncle with her 252,000 followers.
Martha Plimpton ‘Adored’ Her ‘Uncle Bobby’ Robert Carradine
GettyMartha Plimpton’s Instagram tribute to her uncle Robert Carradine comprised a picture of him and a long emotional caption.
The caption began, “My Uncle Bobby was the best one of all 8 brothers; blood, adopted, and step. Out of all of them, he was the absolute best. He was the one who cuddled me when I came to visit my father in LA for the first time at 8 or 9 years old. He cuddled and kidded me for being the only Carradine from New York. “Come ova hee-ah! Maw-thuh! Get ova hee-uh!” He did a terrible New York accent. I was an alien and Bobby joshed me about it, and I adored him for it.”
It continued, “Also, he was the best actor of the bunch. By a THOUSAND MILES. Don’t believe me? Just watch him. In The Cowboys, his first movie with John Wayne. Or in The Big Red One. Or in Coming Home. He’s honestly, in fact, the best actor of all of them. And I think I know why. Because he was KIND. He had inherent KINDNESS in him. He was dear, and loving, and nonjudgmental. And he loved honestly. He made mistakes like anyone else, like any human. But he never lost his decency, or his heart.”
Plimpton’s caption concluded, “I love you, Bobby. You made my world happier. I will miss you enormously.”
The post was high praise indeed. It portrayed Robert Carradine in a wonderful light, making his premature passing all the more tragic.
Plimpton Is Still Thriving as an Actress
GettyHaving started her career as a child actress in the 1980s, Martha Plimpton is still performing quite prolifically today.
Per IMDb, in 2025, she appeared in the crime thriller movie “Sovereign,” as well as two television series — those being the Apple TV+ thriller miniseries “Prime Target” and six episodes of the HBO crime drama “Task.” She also appeared on stage, at the Lyttelton Theatre in London, England, in the musical “Here We Are.”
In 2026, she’s set to appear in Netflix’s upcoming limited series “East of Eden.”
Her past movie credits, in addition to the aforementioned “The Goonies,” include 1989’s “Parenthood,” 1991’s “Samantha,”, 1996’s “Beautiful Girls,” 2011’s “Small Town Murder Songs,” and 2019’s “Frozen 2.” Previous television credits include “ER,” “The Good Wife,” “The Real O’Neals,” “Generation,” “Sprung,” and “A Town Called Malice.”
She is undoubtedly doing her beloved late uncle proud.
We’d like to send our heartfelt condolences to Martha Plimpton and the rest of the Carradine family in the wake of Robert Carradine’s passing.
May he rest in eternal peace.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to reach the toll-free Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (dial 888-628-9454 for assistance in Spanish). You can also speak with a trained crisis counselor anytime by texting HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
