The Mishap That Inspired Late Child Actor Daveigh Chase To Pursue A Career In Hollywood

Daveigh Chase is one of those names that you probably remember but can't quite place. Maybe you remember her as one of the voices behind a fan favorite Disney character, Lilo. Or, maybe you also remember her as Samara from "The Ring" horror film. No matter which role you remember Chase from, she was one of the notable child actors from the early 2000s. And to think that her career may have all stemmed from a mishap that left her living in LA by accident.

According to Chase, it was a moment of "bad luck" that led her to pursue acting as a kid. In an interview with Interview Magazine, Chase detailed the story of how her mom had unfortunately gotten into a car crash during a family vacation in LA from Oregon that led to the family being stuck there for six months. Chase, inspired by the children on "Barney & Friends," decided to begin auditioning for acting gigs. The rest, they say, is history, with Chase landing her first professional acting role for a small part on the TV series "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."

Coming off her successful roles as a child, Daveigh Chase appeared to have a very promising future as an actress. Add in that she was considered one of those child actors who grew up to be stunning, and you'd think studios would be lining up to cast her. However, according to a BBC interview with her manager, John Ryan Jr., Chase retired from acting full-time in 2015. Afterward, Chase experienced a string of legal issues, including multiple arrests for drug possession in 2018.

After her 2018 arrest, Chase disappeared from the public eye until she tragically died on June 16, 2026, at the age of 35. Ryan told Entertainment Weekly that the actress had become increasingly hard to contact in 2015 and appeared to have ongoing struggles with alcohol addiction. Ryan had been in the process of making a documentary of his and others' attempts to find her before her death, which was tentatively titled "Finding Lilo."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).