Hollywood Mourns as ‘The Ring’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Star Passes Away at 35

Daveigh Chase, the actress best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and for playing the terrifying Samara Morgan in The Ring, has died at the age of 35.

According to TMZ, Chase passed away on Tuesday after suffering from meningitis and a serious blood infection. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told the outlet that the illness led to septic complications that ultimately caused her body to shut down.

TMZ also reported that Chase had been admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles earlier this month due to malnutrition. Additional details about her condition have not been publicly released.

Chase became a familiar face to audiences at a very young age and built an impressive career across film and television. Many fans first heard her voice in Disney’s 2002 animated hit Lilo & Stitch, where she played the title character, Lilo Pelekai. The film became a major success and helped introduce Chase to audiences around the world. She later returned to the role for the television series based on the movie.

That same year, Chase also lent her voice to another beloved animated project. She voiced Chihiro Ogino in the English-language version of the acclaimed Japanese animated film Spirited Away, which remains one of the most celebrated animated movies ever made.

While she found success in family-friendly projects, Chase also made a lasting impression in the horror genre. In 2002, she portrayed Samara Morgan in The Ring, the supernatural thriller that became a major box office hit. Her unsettling performance as the film’s ghostly antagonist became one of the most memorable horror roles of the decade.

The role earned Chase widespread recognition and helped establish her as one of the most promising young actresses in Hollywood. She later received an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for her work in the film.

As she grew older, Chase continued working steadily in television. One of her most notable roles came in HBO’s Big Love, where she played Rhonda Volmer. She appeared in 32 episodes of the drama series, which followed the lives of a fundamentalist Mormon family living a polygamous lifestyle. Her character became a memorable part of the show during its five-season run.

Throughout her career, Chase also appeared in a variety of film and television projects, including Donnie Darko, Beethoven’s 5th, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, ER, and Mercy. Her work ranged across multiple genres, allowing her to showcase different sides of her talent.

In later years, Chase largely stepped away from the spotlight. TMZ noted that she experienced several legal issues over the years, which occasionally brought her back into public attention. Despite those challenges, many fans continued to remember her for the performances that defined her early career.

For a generation of moviegoers, Chase’s voice became instantly recognizable through Lilo & Stitch, while horror fans never forgot the chilling image of Samara climbing out of a television screen in The Ring. Her performances left a lasting mark on both animation and horror cinema.

News of her death has already prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans who grew up watching her work. While her life was cut tragically short, Daveigh Chase leaves behind a body of work that continues to be appreciated by audiences more than two decades after her biggest roles first appeared on screen.

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