Daveigh Chase, the former child actress best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and portraying Samara Morgan in The Ring, has died at age 35.
Chase, whose performances helped define a generation of early 2000s film and television, died Tuesday after suffering complications from meningitis and a severe bloodstream infection, her boyfriend told TMZ.
She had been hospitalized in Los Angeles earlier this month for severe malnutrition before her condition worsened.
Born Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier on July 24, 1990, Chase rose to fame as a child actress and voice performer, building a résumé that spanned animated classics, horror films, television dramas, and cult favorites.
Many fans first came to know Chase as the voice of Lilo Pelekai in Disney’s 2002 animated hit Lilo & Stitch. Her performance earned widespread praise and an Annie Award, and she continued voicing the character in subsequent films and television projects tied to the franchise.
That same year, Chase delivered another career-defining performance as Samara Morgan, the terrifying child antagonist in the horror blockbuster The Ring.
The role helped turn Samara into one of the most recognizable horror villains of the early 2000s and earned Chase the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003.
Before those breakout roles, Chase appeared as Samantha Darko in the cult classic Donnie Darko and provided the English-language voice of Chihiro Ogino in the Academy Award-winning animated film Spirited Away.
As she grew older, Chase transitioned into more mature roles. She became a familiar face to HBO viewers through her portrayal of Rhonda Volmer in Big Love, appearing in dozens of episodes during the show’s five-season run.
Her extensive filmography also included appearances in ER, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, The Practice, Beethoven’s 5th, Mercy, Jack Goes Home, and numerous independent films.
Raised primarily in Albany, Oregon, Chase began performing at a young age and entered the entertainment industry after her family temporarily relocated to Southern California during her childhood.
What began with commercials and small television appearances quickly evolved into a successful acting career that spanned nearly two decades.
After her final acting credits in 2016, Chase largely stepped away from public life. In the years that followed, she faced a series of personal struggles and legal troubles that drew media attention.
News of her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans across social media, many remembering her work in Lilo & Stitch, The Ring, Spirited Away, and Donnie Darko.
Chase died on June 16. She was 35 years old.
