Before his death, Adam Rich was working on a series based on life experiences, according to a rep

Editor

Rich’s publicist Danny Deraney of Deraney PR said that the late Eight Is Enough actor also “wanted to be known” for his writing

Adam Rich’s interests in life extended much beyond his love of acting.

After playing Nicholas Bradford in 112 episodes of ABC’s Eight Is Enough, the former child star, who died Saturday at the age of 54, continued to find acting work. He landed a position on Code Red as Danny Blake, as well as several guest appearances on shows such as Baywatch and CHiPs.

However, making the shift from child to adult actor is not easy. His last on-screen appearance was in a 2003 episode of Reel Comedy, and he has generally stayed out of the spotlight since.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 30: (L - R) "Eight Is Enough" actors Jimmy Van Patten, Connie Needham, Dianne Kay, Laurie Walters and Adam Rich attend the Los Angeles premiere of the musical "Hello Dolly" at the Pantages Theatre on January 30, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

“When you’re not working, this industry is brutal, especially as a child actor,” Rich’s publicist Danny Deraney of Deraney PR exclusively tells  “He did his Love Boats like every other kid in the ’80s. They did their Love Boats and Fantasy Islands and Disney movies, or whatever the heck it is — and then all of a sudden, they just disappear for a while.”

Though Rich “would do things from time to time,” his publicist says he also “wanted to be known” for his writing. Rich even once told Deraney, “I wish people could see my writing.”

Rich was putting his writing skills to use just before his death to create something extremely precious to him.

“I believe he sent me a treatment that he was working on,” Deraney says. “I guess he basically wanted me to read it and search for grammatical problems and whatnot in the hopes that it would sell.”

“It was basically a series kind of based on his life narrative, in a way,” the spokesperson explains.

Rich’s other passion was advocating for mental health. A brief peek at the late actor’s Twitter feed reveals that he constantly raised awareness about the issue in order to assist others who were also struggling.

“He was a warrior in trying to get his condition out there,” says Deraney, who notes that his client battled a type of depression that was “medication-resistant.”

Deraney emphasizes, “He was a warrior in trying to let people know it’s okay to talk about this stuff. And I think he also liked knowing, too, how loved he was. I sometimes don’t know if he really knew.”