Daveigh Chase, The Ring Star And Disney Icon, Dead At 35

Daveigh Chase, a former child star and a performer who bridged the gap between two very different genres, has sadly passed away at the age of 35. Best known for bursting onto the scene in 2002 with a pair of legendary performances, the actor quickly made a name for herself at an incredibly young age. After charming audiences as the voice of the irascible, Elvis-loving troublemaker Lilo in the Disney animated classic “Lilo & Stitch,” she would soon go on to completely reinvent her image as the troubled girl Samara Morgan at the center of director Gore Verbinski’s supernatural horror movie “The Ring” only a few months later. TMZ reports that Chase passed away from complications of meningitis and a blood infection, according to her boyfriend Roy Hernandez.

Chase’s tragically young death is a blow to an industry that was forever changed by both of her major contributions to film. Countless fans practically came of age right alongside her throughout her relatively brief acting career. While she was still active, however, she added quite a few impressive titles to her résumé. Her first acting credit is a small supporting turn in a Season 3 episode of the “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” series, which would lead to numerous appearances in productions like “Charmed,” “The Practice,” “ER,” “Donnie Darko,” and more before her big break.

Among her accomplishments, Chase won an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain after her performance in “The Ring” and an Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production celebrating her voice performance in “Lilo & Stitch.”