Daveigh Chase, an actor who rose to prominence as the iconic child star of The Ring and for voicing Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch, has died, according to US reports. She was 35 years old.
The star's boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, shared the news with TMZ. He said Chase passed away on Tuesday (16 June) from meningitis and an infection in her blood, which resulted in septic issues.
Digital Spy has reached out to a representative for confirmation.
Her breakout film role was as Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in 2001. She then voiced Chihiro in the English dub of the Studio Ghibli animated classic, Spirited Away.
In 2002, she voiced the title role of Lilo Pelekai in Disney's Lilo & Stitch, reprising the part in 65 episodes of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, as well as the follow-up films Stitch! The Movie and Leroy & Stitch.
Additionally, Chase played the iconic Samara Morgan in 2002 horror The Ring, and had a main role in the TV series Big Love from 2006 to 2011, playing Rhonda Volmer.
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Other TV appearances included Without A Trace, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cold Case, Charmed, ER and - before any of her movie work - an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
For The Ring, she won Best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards, and for Lilo & Stitch, she took home the Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production at the Annie Awards.
One fan tribute on X reads: "I'm absolutely devastated and shocked to hear that Daveigh Chase passed away yesterday at the age of 35. Chase really did such wonderful work voicing Lilo in Lilo & Stitch [and] Chihiro in Spirited Away, and her legacy will really live in those films. Such a massive loss."
Another wrote: "F**k this news hurts, 35 is far too young. I remember watching Spirited Away and Lilo & Stitch like a hundred times when I was young & her iconic performances is what help[ed make] those films true works of art. Whenever I think of Chihiro, I always hear Chase's voice. RIP."
One film lover shared a popular quote from Lilo & Stitch in tribute: "Remember, Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."
Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.
