‘Lilo & Stitch’, ‘The Ring’ star Daveigh Chase dies at 35

Daveigh Chase was just 11 when she was cast as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’. (Wikipedia pic)

LOS ANGELES: Actress Daveigh Chase, best known as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s animated hit “Lilo & Stitch”, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to US media reports. She was 35.

Her father, John David Schwallier, told the New York Times that Chase died in hospital from complications related to bacterial meningitis and a blood infection.

Schwallier also told the newspaper that his estranged daughter had struggled with drug addiction from a young age and had been living in Los Angeles near the hospital where she died.

Chase was just 11 when “Lilo & Stitch” became a box-office success in 2002. She went on to reprise the role in television series and video game adaptations.

She also voiced Chihiro, the young heroine of Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed film “Spirited Away”, in its English-language version. The movie went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Beyond voice acting, Chase built a career in live-action film and television. Her early credits included a Campbell’s Soup commercial and a role as the younger sister of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character in the cult classic “Donnie Darko”.

She later gained wider recognition for her role as Samara Morgan in the horror film “The Ring”. Her portrayal of the terrifying young girl who emerged from television screens earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003.

Entertainment website TMZ identified Chase’s boyfriend as Roy Hernandez and cited a fundraising page he had created to help cover her medical expenses.

“After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA,” Hernandez wrote on the page.

“Together, we found moments of happiness and hope.”

Chase’s representatives did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.