Memorial Page for Daveigh Chase (née Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier)

Daveigh Chase, born Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, was an American actress, voice actress, singer, and former child star. She grew up in Albany, Oregon. From a very young age, she showed an interest in music, dance, and acting: as a small child, she performed at local events, and later her first commercials and smaller television roles brought her to Los Angeles.

Her career began in the late 1990s with appearances in television series and smaller film roles. An important early step was her role as Samantha Darko in Richard Kelly’s cult film Donnie Darko from 2001. Although the film was not a major box-office success at first, it later developed into a modern classic, which also introduced Chase’s performance to a wider audience.

Her breakthrough came in 2002, when she played two very different roles that permanently secured her a place in pop culture. In Disney’s animated film Lilo & Stitch, she voiced the main character Lilo Pelekai. Her performance made Lilo a lively, stubborn, and at the same time vulnerable character. Chase also voiced the role in later productions within the franchise. For her performance, she received an Annie Award for voice acting.

In the same year, she portrayed Samara Morgan in the horror film The Ring. The role was almost wordless, but through her physical presence and the eerie effect of the character, Samara became one of the most famous horror figures of the early 2000s. For this performance, Chase won the 2003 MTV Movie Award for “Best Villain.” It was remarkable that, as a very young actress, she was nominated against established stars and managed to win.

Chase was also successful as a voice actress. In addition to Lilo, she voiced Chihiro Ogino in the English-language version of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. This made her part of one of the most internationally acclaimed animated films. During this phase of her career, her voice became one of her most important trademarks.

In the following years, Chase continued to work in film and television. She appeared in productions such as Oliver Beene, Beethoven’s 5th, and later in the HBO series Big Love. In Big Love, she played Rhonda Volmer, a difficult and manipulative young woman from a polygamous environment. This role showed that Chase was also able to portray more complex characters beyond children’s and youth roles. In 2009, she returned to the role of Samantha Darko in S. Darko, the sequel to Donnie Darko.

After the 2010s, things became quieter around her. Her last known film appearances were in the mid-2010s, including American Romance and Jack Goes Home. After that, she largely withdrew from the public eye and from acting. Later reports described personal difficulties, health problems, and periods of great instability.

Daveigh Chase died in June 2026 at the age of 35. According to her family, complications from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection were the cause of death. The news of her death shocked many fans, especially because her best-known roles had been formative for an entire generation.

Her legacy remains above all connected to two contrasting characters: the warm-hearted, strong-willed Lilo from Lilo & Stitch and the terrifying Samara from The Ring. These two roles show the extraordinary range that Daveigh Chase already possessed as a child. She left behind a body of work that, despite a comparatively short active career, is still remembered today.