Daveigh Chase
Chase in 2007
Born
Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier

(1990-07-24)July 24, 1990
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Died June 16, 2026(2026-06-16) (aged 35)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1998–2015
Website Official website (via Wayback Machine)
Signature

Daveigh Elizabeth Chase (/dəˈveɪ/ də-VAY;[1] née Chase-Schwallier; July 24, 1990 – June 16, 2026) was an American actress.[2][3] She first came to prominence as a child actress, portraying Samantha Darko in the film Donnie Darko (2001), a role she reprised in its sequel S. Darko (2009), and voicing the characters of Chihiro Ogino in the English dub of the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away (2001) and Lilo Pelekai in the Walt Disney Animation Studios animated feature film Lilo & Stitch (2002). For her performance in the latter, she won an Annie Award in 2003, and she continued to voice Lilo in its subsequent media franchise.

In 2002, Chase achieved wider international recognition for her portrayal of Samara Morgan in the blockbuster horror film The Ring. Her performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003. Chase later transitioned to adult roles with her supporting part in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011), in which she portrayed Rhonda Volmer, and appeared in various independent movies, including Yellow (2012) and Jack Goes Home (2016).

Chase experienced multiple personal and legal difficulties, which coincided with a prolonged withdrawal from the public eye from 2015. Following a period of homelessness, she died in June 2026 at 35 years old of septic shock and meningitis complications.

Early life

Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier was born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Cathy Chase and John Schwallier.[4][5] She grew up with a younger half-brother named Cade, alongside several other half-siblings from her parents' subsequent marriages.[5] Her parents divorced during her early childhood, and following the family separation, Chase legally adopted her mother's maiden name as her professional moniker.[5][6] She subsequently relocated with her mother, Cathy, to Albany, Oregon, a city situated in the Willamette Valley, where she spent her formative years raised within a close-knit community environment.[5][7]

From a very young age, Chase displayed a marked interest in the performing arts. She began formal vocal and dance training at the age of three and frequently performed at local talent shows, community events, and pageants throughout the Pacific Northwest.[5][6] Her early vocal performances were heavily centered on country music, leading her to win a national vocal competition during her childhood.[5] Recognizing her daughter's natural aptitude for performance, Cathy actively encouraged her artistic pursuits, although the family had not initially planned to venture into professional Hollywood acting.[5] Their plans shifted significantly in 1998 during a family road trip to Los Angeles. While traveling, Cathy was involved in a severe car accident; as a result, doctors mandated that she refrain from driving for at least six months, effectively grounding the family in Southern California during her medical recovery period.[8]

During this unplanned residency, the eight-year-old Chase—who had developed an early fascination with screen acting after watching the children's television program Barney & Friends—began exploring local opportunities in the entertainment industry.[8][9] To balance her expanding professional commitments with her education, she later transitioned from local Oregon schools to a home-schooling curriculum managed by her mother.[5] With the support of her mother and local acquaintances, she began attending open casting calls, which quickly yielded professional representation. She secured a talent agent and began booking minor roles, including national television advertising spots for the Campbell's Soup Company at age seven.[6][10]

Chase bolstered her professional profile by appearing in a regional theatrical production of the musical Utah! at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in 1998, sharing the role of Norma Sanderson.[11] She credited this stage experience with refining her live singing ability and performance presence.[12] This intense developmental period facilitated her rapid transition into screen acting, culminating in her television debut in a 1998 episode of the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch.[12] The role marked the end of her initial focus on child modeling and served as the launchpad for a prolific career in both mainstream television and independent film, prompting minor appearances in series such as ER, Charmed, and The Practice.[6][13] She and her mother subsequently maintained a dual residency arrangement, splitting their time between their family home in Oregon and a temporary apartment in Los Angeles to accommodate her filming schedules.[5]

Career

1998–2001: Early roles and breakthrough

Chase made her television debut in 1998, appearing in a minor guest-starring role on an episode of the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She appeared in the 1999 television film Michael Landon, the Father I Knew, portraying a young Shawna Landon. Over the next two years, she secured a succession of episodic roles in prominent network television series, including Charmed, The Practice, ER, and Family Law.[14]

In 2001, Chase secured her breakout role portraying Samantha Darko, the younger sister of the titular character (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), in the independent psychological thriller Donnie Darko. Although the film underperformed during its initial theatrical release, it quickly garnered a devoted cult following and received widespread critical acclaim. Chase's portrayal of the former child dance troupe member provided one of the film's few sources of innocence and comic relief. That same year, she provided the English-language dub voice for the protagonist Chihiro Ogino, a 10-year-old girl navigating the spirit world, in Hayao Miyazaki's acclaimed animated fantasy film Spirited Away.[15] Spirited Away later won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

2002–2005: Lilo & Stitch, The Ring, and television success

Chase's international profile expanded significantly in 2002 through two wildly contrasting roles. She was cast as the voice of Lilo Pelekai, a quirky and lonely Hawaiian girl, in the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature Lilo & Stitch. The film details Lilo's attempts to tame and raise a destructive alien fugitive (voiced by co-director Chris Sanders) using the music of Elvis Presley as a behavioral guide. The film was a critical and commercial triumph, grossing over $273 million worldwide. Chase's voice performance was highly praised for its emotional authenticity and comedic timing; she was subsequently awarded the Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature at the 30th Annie Awards in 2003.[16] She reprised the role of Lilo in the direct-to-video film Stitch! The Movie (2003) and the subsequent television series Lilo & Stitch: The Series, which aired on the Disney Channel from 2003 to 2006.[citation needed]

Later in 2002, Chase starred as Samara Morgan in the supernatural horror film The Ring, a remake of the 1998 Japanese film Ring.[17] Playing a malevolent, drowned child who curses a videotape, Chase's performance required extensive prosthetic makeup and physically demanding stunt work. Her portrayal became heavily ingrained in early 2000s pop culture, turning Samara into an iconic cinematic villain.[18] At the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, Chase won the Best Villain award, beating out a competitive field that included Mike Myers, Colin Farrell, Willem Dafoe, and Daniel Day-Lewis. For the 2005 sequel The Ring Two, Chase was credited due to the use of archival footage from the first film, though actress Kelly Stables performed all the new on-screen material and motion capture for Samara.[19]

Between 2003 and 2004, Chase held a main cast role as Joyce, the quirky girlfriend of the title character, in the Fox period sitcom Oliver Beene. Her other notable credits during this period included the direct-to-video film Beethoven's 5th (2003) and the romantic comedy Carolina (2003), where she played the younger version of Julia Stiles' character.[citation needed]

2006–2016: Big Love and final roles

In 2006, Chase secured the role of Rhonda Volmer in Big Love, a critically acclaimed drama series on HBO which centered on a polygamist family in Utah led by patriarch Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton). Chase's character, Rhonda, was introduced as the teenage child bride of the compound's ruthless prophet, Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton). Over the course of the series, Rhonda evolved into a complex, sociopathic antagonist who manipulated both the compound members and the secular outside world.[citation needed]

Chase remained a recurring and main presence on the series until its conclusion in 2011, earning praise for her chilling depiction of a young woman corrupted by religious extremism. Also in 2006, Chase voiced Lilo for the final time in Leroy & Stitch, the conclusion to the Lilo & Stitch television series. In 2008, she took on the voice role of Betsy in the PBS Kids educational animated series Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures.[citation needed]

In 2009, Chase reprised her Donnie Darko role as Samantha in the sequel S. Darko.[20] Set seven years after the events of the original film, the narrative follows an 18-year-old Samantha on a cross-country road trip to Los Angeles, where she becomes plagued by bizarre visions and time anomalies. Unlike its predecessor, S. Darko received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. Having been made without the approval of (nor input from) the original film's creator, Richard Kelly, the sequel shares minimal continuity with its predecessor.[21][22]

During the 2010s, Chase appeared primarily in independent thriller and horror films. She played a supporting role in the drama Yellow (2012) and starred in the independent thriller Killer Crush (2015). In 2016, she co-starred in the thriller American Romance, and had a supporting role in the psychological horror film Jack Goes Home. Also in 2016, she provided the English voice of Kiwako Seto in the video game Let It Die. American Romance, Jack Goes Home and Let It Die served as her final acting credits.[citation needed]

Post-career reclusion and legal issues

According to Chase's former manager John Ryan, Chase had a scheduled meeting with director Rob Reiner for a film project in November 2015, but failed to appear at the venue.[23] Ryan later cited this as the start of her "disappearance" from the public, with Chase having had no contact with any of her family and friends after the failed meeting.[23]

In November 2017, Chase was arrested in Los Angeles on a felony charge after being found riding as a passenger in a vehicle that had been reported stolen.[24][25] Eight months earlier in February 2017, Chase was detained by LAPD detectives and questioned after she was seen leaving an unresponsive man at a local hospital, who was subsequently pronounced dead of a suspected drug overdose.[26]

In August 2018, Chase was arrested again by LAPD on a misdemeanor charge of drug possession and spent a short time in a Hollywood jail before being released on a $1,000 bond.[27] By November 2018, she was charged with two misdemeanor counts stemming from these incidents: possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.[25][28]

After the incidents, and following her final film role in 2016, Chase withdrew entirely from public view and social media, prompting industry speculation that she had retired from the entertainment industry.[25] In her final decade, Chase had severe personal difficulties, during which she experienced periods of addiction and homelessness, including living on the streets of Skid Row and downtown Los Angeles.[7][29]

Due to Chase's decade-long reclusion and difficulties among friends and family to contact her, Ryan began producing a documentary about his search for Chase to be titled Finding Lilo, which was in progress by the time of Chase's death.[23]

Illness and death

In June 2026, Chase was admitted to the Los Angeles General Medical Center for treatment of severe malnutrition following a period of extreme weight loss.[30][31] During her hospitalization, her condition became increasingly critical after she was diagnosed with meningitis and several severe systemic bloodstream infections, with doctors stating that she did not have much time left to live.[32][33][34]

To help manage rising medical expenses and support Chase in regaining stability, her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, created a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign.[35] In the campaign description, Hernandez said that Chase had faced significant personal difficulties in her post-acting life, including systemic bullying, a painful estrangement from her family, and ongoing housing instability in downtown Los Angeles.[30][31]

Chase died hours after the fundraising page was launched on June 16, from septic shock and subsequent organ failure caused by her infections; she was 35.[35][36] Hernandez publicly announced her death through TMZ the following day, June 17, stating that her bloodstream infections had led to septic complications that caused her body to shut down.[32][36]

Following her death, a dispute emerged regarding her final arrangements and the crowdfunding campaign, which Hernandez claimed was intended to help fund her cremation.[37] Chase's former manager, John Ryan, and her father, John Schwallier, publicly denounced the fundraiser, advising fans not to donate.[38] Ryan stated that Chase's family was independently handling all funeral and cremation arrangements, emphasizing that Chase possessed a SAG-AFTRA trust fund with millions of dollars in untouched residuals that would easily cover the costs.[39][40]

Tributes

Fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry paid tribute after Chase's death was announced.[31][33][36]

Co-workers and publications similarly commemorated her roles as the voice of Lilo Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch, the English dub voice of Chihiro Ogino in Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko and its sequel, S. Darko, and Rhonda Volmer on the HBO television series Big Love.[33][36]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2001 Donnie Darko Samantha Darko [22]
A.I. Artificial Intelligence Child Singer Deleted scenes
Spirited Away Chihiro Ogino Voice; English dub
2002 Lilo & Stitch Lilo Pelekai Voice
The Ring Samara Morgan
2003 Haunted Lighthouse Annabel Short film
Carolina Georgia Mirabeau (young)
Stitch! The Movie Lilo Pelekai Voice; direct-to-video
Beethoven's 5th Sara Newton Direct-to-video
2005 The Ring Two Samara Morgan Archive footage
2009 S. Darko Samantha Darko [41]
2012 Yellow Mary Holmes (young)
Little Red Wagon Kelley Bonner
2016 Jack Goes Home Shanda
American Romance Krissy Madison Final acting role

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Little Girl Episode: "Christmas Amnesia"
1999 Michael Landon, the Father I Knew Shawna Landon (age 8) Television film
2000 Charmed Christina Larson (young) Episode: "Pardon My Past"
The Practice Jennifer Wakefield Episode: "Appeal and Denial"
ER Taylor Walker Episode: "The Greatest of Gifts"
From Where I Sit Anna Television film
Edgar MaCobb Presents Sally
2001 Yes, Dear Brooke Episode: "The Big Snip"
The Lot Peggy Franklin Episode: "Kids"
That's Life Mary-Ellen Episode: "Boo!"
Touched by an Angel Heather Albright Episode: "Heaven's Portal"
Inside Schwartz Randi Johnson Episode: "Comic Relief Pitcher"
Say Uncle Lucy Janik Television film
2002 Family Law Jamie Garibaldi Episode: "Blood and Water"
The Rats Amy Costello Television film
2003 Fillmore! Joyce Summitt / Tracy Mabini Voice; episodes: "Of Slain Kings on Checkered Fields" (Joyce Summitt) & "Links in a Chain of Honor" (Tracy Mabini)
Oliver Beene Joyce Main role; 23 episodes
2003–2006 Lilo & Stitch: The Series Lilo Pelekai Voice; lead role; 65 episodes
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Tessa Press Episode: "Turn of the Screws"
Cold Case Ariel Shuman Episode: "The Sleepover"
2006 Leroy & Stitch Lilo Pelekai Voice; television film
2006–2011 Big Love Rhonda Volmer Main role; 32 episodes
2008 Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures Betsy Voice; lead role; 58 episodes
Without a Trace Diana Reed Episode: "A Bend in the Road"
2009 Mercy Ashley Jeffries Episode: "I'm Not That Kind of Girl"
2015 Killer Crush Paige York Television film

Music videos

Year Title Artist(s) Role Note Ref.
2001 "What About Us?" Ministry Child Singer Cameo
[citation needed]

Video games

Year Title Voice role Ref.
2002 Disney's Lilo & Stitch Lilo Pelekai
Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in Paradise
Lilo & Stitch: Hawaiian Adventure
2016 Let It Die Kiwako Seto (English dub) [42]

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated work Award Category Result Refs
2002 Touched by an Angel Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Guest Starring Young Actress Nominated
2003 The Ring Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role: Female Nominated
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Villain Won
Lilo & Stitch Annie Awards Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Won [16]
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role: Female Nominated
Young Artist Award Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role: Age 10 or Under Won

References

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  2. ^ "Daveigh Chase biography. American actress and singer". Biographs. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  3. ^ "Daveigh Chase's Net Worth, Height, Measurements, Relationships". The Biography. December 1, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  4. ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (2011). Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-786-48694-6.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gehrett, Les (August 16, 2002). "Big break: Albany girl follows her dreams of performing directly into the spotlight". Albany Democrat-Herald. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
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  7. ^ a b MacDonald, John S. W. (June 17, 2026). "Daveigh Chase, 'Lilo & Stitch' Voice Actor and 'The Ring' Villain, Dies at 35". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  8. ^ a b Campion, Chris (July 6, 2009). "Daveigh Chase". Interview. Archived from the original on March 5, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
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  15. ^ Thill, Scott (September 20, 2002). "Spirited Away". PopMatters. Archived from the original on June 4, 2004. Retrieved August 5, 2008. She also starred in the box-office film Donnie Darko as Samantha Darko, the youngest sister of the Darko family (2001)
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  20. ^ Lindsay, Cam (July 15, 2008). "Ed Harcourt To Score Unwelcome Donnie Darko Sequel". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  21. ^ https://youtube.com/watch?v=QCuIxY08nOA&pp=0gcJCUACo7VqN5tDiggCQAE%3D&ra=m
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  34. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
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  37. ^ "'Lilo & Stitch' star Daveigh Chase died with millions of dollars in residuals untouched, manager says". New York Post. June 17, 2026. Archived from the original on June 18, 2026. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  38. ^ Speakman, Kimberlee (June 18, 2026). "Daveigh Chase's Former Manager Implores People Not to Donate to Her Boyfriend's GoFundMe Page: 'Not Going Toward ANY Expenses for Daveigh'". People. Archived from the original on June 18, 2026. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
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  41. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (May 9, 2008). "Screen Daily: S. Darko". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  42. ^ "CAST｜PlayStation®4用サバイバルアクションゲーム – Let It Die". letitdie.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 21, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2018.