Adam Richinstantly became a household name through his starring role on ABC’sEight Is Enough, but achieving fame wasn’t necessarily a goal of his.
“Adam really had no ego. He didn’t care about being famous,” Rich’s publicist, Danny Deraney of Deraney PR, exclusively tells PEOPLE. “He really loved the craft of acting.He loved to write. Being famous was not even, I think, an item that he cared about. He just loved doing what he did, and he was really proud of that.”
Deraney says Rich was “always a joy” to be around as well.
“He was always someone who would put other people ahead of himself and ahead of his own needs. That’s just the way he was. He was really one of the good guys, despite the addictions he had from the past,” he continues.
“He was sober. He fought really hard in overcoming and succeeding in some of those cases,” he adds. “He still was just a super mensch, super guy, superhuman. He was always looking out for you, and he treated you like you were the famous person or you were the one who deserves the notoriety.”
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His last credited role was in a 2003 episode of Reel Comedy. From that point on, he tended to veer away from the spotlight.
Richdied on Saturdayin his Los Angeles home at age 54. His passing has sparkedan influx of heartfelt reactionsfrom stars and fans alike, remembering the legacy Rich left behind.
But Rich wasn’t always aware of his level of notoriety, according to Deraney.
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“He was always surprised when people knew him. And I would tell him, I’m like, ‘Adam, you were a big deal back then,'” he explains. “But it goes back to what I was saying. He didn’t care about those things. Nothing. He didn’t care.”
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source: people.com
