Daveigh Chase

Early life Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier was born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Cathy Chase and John David Schwallier.

She subsequently relocated with her mother to Albany, Oregon, where she performed in local talent shows and pageants.

Chase appeared in a regional theatrical production of the musical Utah! at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in 1998, sharing the role of Norma Sanderson. She credited this stage experience with refining her live singing ability and performance presence.

Career 1998–2001: Early roles and breakthrough Chase made her television debut in 1998, appearing in a minor guest role on 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 Charmed, The Practice, ER and Family Law. Chase 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.

2002–2005: Lilo & Stitch, The Ring, and television success Chase's international profile expanded significantly in 2002. She was cast as the voice of Lilo Pelekai, a quirky and lonely Hawaiian girl who befriends a destructive alien fugitive, in the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature Lilo & Stitch. 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. 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. Spirited Away later won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Later in 2002, Chase starred as Samara Morgan in the supernatural horror film The Ring, a remake of the 1998 Japanese film Ring. Playing a malevolent, drowned child who curses a videotape, Chase required extensive prosthetic makeup and performed physically demanding stunt work in the role. Her portrayal gained wide notice in early 2000s pop culture, and the character of Samara became an iconic cinematic villain. At the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, Chase won the Best Villain award. For the 2005 sequel The Ring Two, Chase was credited due to the use of archival footage from the first film, although actress Kelly Stables performed all the new on-screen material and motion capture for Samara.

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), in which she played the younger version of Julia Stiles' character.

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). 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.

In 2009, Chase reprised her Donnie Darko role as Samantha in the sequel S. Darko. 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.

Personal life Following her final film roles in 2016, Chase withdrew entirely from public view, prompting speculation that she had retired from the entertainment industry. According to her mother, Chase had suffered from drug addiction since about 2016, when she was prescribed painkillers after a motorcycle accident severely injured her back. However, her father claimed that Chase had suffered from drug addiction since the age of 13 (around 2003 or 2004). 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.

In August 2018, Chase was arrested by the 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. 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. Chase's mother stated that she last saw her daughter when visiting her in jail in October 2019, and that they had lost contact entirely after Chase failed to meet her as planned upon her release.

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. During her hospitalization, her condition became increasingly critical after she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, several bloodstream infections, and AIDS. Doctors stated that she did not have much time left to live.

To help manage rising medical expenses and support Chase in regaining stability, her alleged boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, created a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign. 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. A secondary cause of death was chronic polysubstance use. 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. Chase's former manager, John Ryan, and her father, John Schwallier, publicly denounced the fundraiser, advising fans not to donate. Ryan stated that Chase's family was independently handling all funeral and cremation arrangements.

Chase left behind $400,000 in personal property.

Tributes Fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry paid tribute after Chase's death was announced.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2001 Donnie Darko Samantha Darko A.I. Artificial Intelligence Child Singer Deleted scenes Spirited Away Chihiro Ogino Voice; English dub 2002 Lilo & Stitch Lilo Pelekai Voice The Ring Samara Morgan2003 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 2012 Yellow Mary Holmes (young) Little Red Wagon Kelley Bonner2016 Jack Goes Home Shanda American Romance Krissy Madison

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" 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 film2003 Fillmore! Joyce Summitt / Tracy Mabini Voice; episodes: "Of Slain Kings on Checkered Fields" & "Links in a Chain of Honor" 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 2001 "What About Us?" Ministry Child Singer Cameo

Video games Year Title Voice role 2002Disney's Lilo & StitchLilo PelekaiLilo & Stitch: Trouble in ParadiseLilo & Stitch: Hawaiian Adventure 2016 Let It Die Kiwako Seto (English dub)

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