Daveigh Chase Dies at 35: A Look Back at Her Biggest Roles, From 'Lilo & Stitch' to 'The Ring'

Daveigh Chase, the former child actress best known for playing Samara Morgan in the horror film The Ring, has died at the age of 35.

Chase's boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ that the actress died from meningitis and a blood infection. She had been hospitalised in Los Angeles for malnutrition earlier this month.

News of her death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans, who have remembered her for a career that included several well-known film and television roles.

Here is a look back at some of Chase's most memorable performances.

Samantha Darko in 'Donnie Darko' and 'S. Darko'

Chase's breakthrough came in 2001 when she played Samantha Darko, the younger sister of the titular character, in the psychological thriller Donnie Darko.

She later reprised the role in the 2009 sequel S. Darko, in which Samantha became the film's central protagonist.

Chihiro Ogino in 'Spirited Away'

In 2001, Chase voiced Chihiro Ogino, a 10-year-old girl navigating the spirit world, in the English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2002, Chase said voicing the character was 'difficult at times'.

'Well, it was kind of difficult at times because Chihiro's mouth would only be open for a little bit, because you know how sometimes Japanese phrases are short but they mean something really long.

'That would be tough because I had to talk really fast and still get all the emotional stuff into it or we would have to cut up the line and edit it,' she said.

Lilo in 'Lilo & Stitch'

In 2002, Chase gained widespread recognition for two vastly different roles: Lilo in Lilo & Stitch and Samara Morgan in The Ring.

Chase voiced Lilo Pelekai, a Hawaiian girl who befriends an extraterrestrial creature she mistakes for a puppy, in Disney's Lilo & Stitch.

Her performance earned widespread praise and won her the Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production award at the Annie Awards in 2003.

She later reprised the role in Stitch! The Movie (2003), the Disney Channel series Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-2006), and Leroy & Stitch (2006).

Samara Morgan in 'The Ring'

Chase starred as Samara Morgan in Gore Verbinski's The Ring, a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring.

She played the film's terrifying antagonist and won Best Villain at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards for her performance.

Discussing the role with the Los Angeles Timesin 2002, Chase said: 'It was really fun. It is not your typical character.

'Usually they are looking for a happy-go-lucky kid, but Samara was a pretty interesting character to play. I just kind of took my own voice and put this freaky twist on it.'

She added: 'The producer for this movie told me she was a lot like Linda Blair in "The Exorcist." I saw part of that, and what really freaked me out was when she was crawling up upside down and backwards down the stairs — kind of like the spider.'

Rhonda Volmer in 'Big Love'

Chase also starred in the HBO drama series Big Love, playing Rhonda Volmer, a teenager who was set to marry Roman Grant, portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton. She appeared in 32 episodes of the critically acclaimed series, which centred on a polygamist family in Utah.

Beyond these roles, Chase also appeared in films including Beethoven's 5th, Little Red Wagon and Jack Goes Home.

Her final film role came in the 2016 thriller American Romance.