American actress Daveigh Chase, who rose to fame in the early 2000s by Lilo & Stitch et The RingShe died at the age of 35. According to her partner, Roy Hernandez, she died Tuesday after suffering from meningitis and severe blood infections that led to complications. She had been hospitalized in Los Angeles in early June.
His name remains associated with two very different roles, released in the same year, 2002. For the general public, Daveigh Chase was both the original voice of Lilo Pelekai in the Disney animated film Lilo & Stitch and the unforgettable Samara Morgan, the unsettling figure of the horror film The RingTwo iconic characters that made her one of the most remarkable young actresses of her generation.
Lilo, Samara: two roles, one pivotal year
Born in Las Vegas in 1990, Daveigh Chase started in show business at a very young age. After television appearances, she landed several roles that quickly established her face and voice in American popular culture.
In 2001, she appeared in Donnie Darko, the Richard Kelly film which later became a cult classic. But it was the following year that transformed her career. In 2002, she lent her voice to Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, one of Disney's great animated successes. The character, a lively, solitary and endearing little Hawaiian girl, left a lasting impression on the public.
That same year, Daveigh Chase completely changed his style with The Ring, an American remake of the Japanese film RINGShe plays Samara Morgan, a silent and terrifying child bound to a cursed videotape. The role became one of the most iconic images of 2000s horror cinema. For this performance, she won the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.
A career spanning film, television, and voice acting
After these two successes, Daveigh Chase continued to take on numerous projects. She reprised the voice of Lilo in several productions related to the universe of Lilo & Stitchincluding Stitch! The Movie, the animated series broadcast on Disney Channel and Leroy & Stitch .
She also works in dubbing the American version of Spirited Away, the animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. On television, she appears in several series, including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, ER, Charmed, The Practice or, Oliver Beene.
One of her most important roles remains that of Rhonda Volmer in Big Love, the HBO series about a polygamous family in Utah. Daveigh Chase plays a troubled, manipulative character, very far removed from the childlike image associated with Lilo.
A presence that has become less frequent
From the 2010s onwards, Daveigh Chase became less visible. She still appeared in a few films, including S. Darko, continuation of Donnie DarkoAnd in Jacks Gores Home and American Romance, released in 2016. These last roles mark the end of her regular presence on screen.
The actress is gradually distancing herself from Hollywood, the red carpets, and the media spotlight. Her career is becoming quieter, far removed from the visibility that accompanied her early years. For many viewers, however, she remains associated with powerful images: the tenderness of Lilo, the fear evoked by Samara, and her trajectory as a child star who entered the film industry at a very young age.
A death at 35
Daveigh Chase was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital in early June. She was suffering from malnutrition before her condition deteriorated. She subsequently contracted meningitis and severe blood infections, leading to septic complications and organ failure.
His death, at only 35 years old, sparked numerous reactions among fans of Lilo & Stitch, de The Ring et de Donnie DarkoMany rediscovered on this occasion the extent of a career that began very early, with roles that had resonated with very different audiences.
