Blake Garrett, the former child actor best known for his role in How to Eat Fried Worms, has died at the age of 33.
He passed away on Sunday, with his family now awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.
Blake’s mother, Carol Garrett, told TMZ that her son had recently fallen ill and was diagnosed with shingles. She revealed that he had been taken to an Oklahoma emergency room last week after experiencing “intense pain,” where doctors confirmed the viral infection.
Shingles is a painful rash that affects roughly one in three people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though fewer than 100 deaths from the condition are reported annually.
Carol suggested that Blake may have “self-medicated to cope with the pain from the viral infection,” and said his death could have been a tragic accident.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma native had previously struggled with sobriety but had been sober for some time, with his family emphasizing that he had been “living a really good life” over the past three years.
Born in Austin, Texas, Blake made a name for himself with a string of childhood roles. He began his career with lead parts in local productions such as Aladdin and His Magical Lamp and Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Tribute.
By the age of 10, he was touring internationally with the arena show Barney’s Colorful World International Tour. His big break came in 2006 when he was cast as Plug in the film adaptation of How to Eat Fried Worms, which brought him widespread recognition.
Plug played the bully’s sidekick, but Garrett told The Oklahoman that the young actors got along well on set.
In 2007, the cast was honored with the Best Young Ensemble in a Feature Film award at the Young Artist Awards.
Before his film career, Blake performed in stage productions including Aladdin and His Magical Lamp, The Wizard of Oz, Annie, and Grease. He also toured with Barney’s Colorful World International Tour from 2003 to 2004.
Garrett fondly remembered how other children were intrigued by his hair color. “Some of them had never seen my hair color,” he said.
For his performance in the film, Blake earned a Young Artist Award for Best Young Ensemble Cast, cementing his place as a rising star in Hollywood during his childhood.
