Adam Rich Had a Troubled Life after 'Eight Is Enough' Almost Dying because of His Addiction

Adam Rich lived a troubled life after the end of the famous "Eight is Enough" series. He fell into a self-destructive cycle and almost died because of it — he lives still but has not been able to outrun the child star curse.

Adam Rich and a few other stars got famous thanks to the work they put into making "Eight is Enough," a popular series that followed the comical adventures of the Bradford family from 1977 to 1981 on ABC.

Some of the cast performed so well; people struggled to see them in a different light after the show ended. That was the case for Adam Rich, who played the role of Nicholas Bradford on the show.

He showed a lot of talent in his performance and was expected to do great things; however, after the show ended, his career as an actor started dying even though he was born for it.

Thanks to a court order, he entered a drug treatment he completed, and when he was released, he returned to searching for work.

Rich started acting as a child; when he was five, he revealed his desire to become a TV star and began with commercials. He officially got his first job at eight, and by nine, he had already been in 50 commercials — a testament to how talented he is.

After the show ended, Rich fell into a cycle of destructive patterns. He started smoking marijuana at the age of fourteen, and he dropped out of school when he clocked seventeen.

His attraction to drugs proved nearly fatal for him when he almost lost his life to a valium overdose in 1989. In 1991 he was arrested for trying to steal drugs at a pharmacy.

However, Rich has not given up; he reportedly still moves around these days, pitching ideas to the higher-ups.

Thanks to a court order, he entered a drug treatment he completed, and when he was released, he returned to searching for work. He tried to stay clean but fell back into his habits.

In 2003, Rich was arrested for driving under the influence and was in rehab three times later. These days he is living better; he was seen at the "Eight is Enough" reunion last year and looked to be doing fine.

After the series ended years ago, most cast members did not further their acting careers and gradually fell off the radar.

However, Rich has not given up; he reportedly still moves around these days, pitching ideas to the higher-ups and hoping someday they might listen.