Daveigh Elizabeth Chase, the actress who brought the beloved character Lilo to life in Disney’s animated film ‘Lilo & Stitch’, has passed away at the age of 35. Her manager, John Ryan Jr., confirmed the news to BBC News.
Chase was admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles on Wednesday due to severe malnutrition. According to Ryan, she later developed meningitis and multiple bloodstream infections, which led to sepsis. She died from these complications.
Born on July 24, 1990, Chase began acting at the age of four and landed her first Hollywood role when she was seven. She retired from full-time acting in 2015. Besides her iconic voice role in ‘Lilo & Stitch’, she was also known for her part in the horror film ‘The Ring’. For her performance as Lilo, she won an Annie Award in 2003 and continued to voice the character in the franchise’s subsequent media.
Ryan described Chase as a private person who loved cats and often worked with cat rescues. He said, ‘She was not very Hollywood. She’d rather eat at Bob’s Big Boy and go home with the cats. She loved acting but wasn’t into the fame scene.’