Daveigh Chase

Daveigh Chase was an American actress and voice actress. She is widely recognized for her unforgettable performances as Lilo Pelekai in Disney's animated film Lilo & Stitch and the haunting Samara Morgan in the blockbuster horror film The Ring. Her portrayal of Chihiro Ogino in the English dub of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away also earned critical acclaim. Chase's career trajectory saw her transition from acclaimed child performer to a notable presence in the entertainment industry. Though she retired from acting, her distinctive roles continue to resonate with audiences who remember her for the emotional depth she brought to her characters and the lasting impact she made on popular culture.[edit]

Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier was born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Her upbringing in Las Vegas was primarily shaped by her mother, Kathy, following her parents' divorce. From a very young age, Chase displayed a natural inclination towards performing arts. She began dancing at just three years old, diligently studying ballet, tap, and jazz, and soon expanded her interests to acting in local theater productions. Her burgeoning talent caught the eye of a talent scout at a dance recital when she was six. This pivotal moment quickly led to her first professional commercial work, including an appearance in a national Barbie commercial, marking her entry into the entertainment industry. By 1998, when she was around eight years old, Chase had secured a small role in the television movie The Perfect Daughter.

To further her nascent acting career, Chase and her mother relocated to Los Angeles when she was ten years old, enabling her to pursue acting full-time. During her formative years, she had attended public school in Las Vegas before transitioning to homeschooling, which provided the flexibility needed for her demanding schedule. The turning point in her early career arrived with an audition for the role of Samantha Darko in the cult classic film Donnie Darko. Following a nationwide search for the character, Chase's performance resonated strongly with director Richard Kelly, who later affirmed that he immediately recognized her as the perfect fit for the part, leading to what would become her significant breakthrough role.[edit]

Chase made her feature film debut in 2001 as Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko, which became a cult favorite. That same year, she voiced Chihiro Ogino in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2002, she landed two major roles: Lilo Pelekai in Disney's Lilo & Stitch and Samara Morgan in the horror remake The Ring. Lilo & Stitch grossed $273 million worldwide, and The Ring earned $249 million. For her voice work, she won the Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature. At the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, she won Best Villain for The Ring.

She continued voicing Lilo in direct-to-video sequels and the TV series Lilo & Stitch: The Series from 2003 to 2006. From 2006 to 2011, she played Rhonda Volmer on the HBO drama Big Love, a role that marked her transition to adult acting. After the series ended, she appeared in independent thrillers such as Yellow Brick Road (2010) and Jack Goes Home (2016), which was her final film before retiring from acting.[edit]

Daveigh Chase was widely recognized as a talented child actress known for her expressive voice and ability to play both sweet and sinister roles. Her portrayal of Lilo endeared her to a generation of Disney fans, while her role as Samara made her a horror icon. In her later years, she maintained a small but devoted fanbase, particularly among enthusiasts of Donnie Darko and Lilo & Stitch. On social media, she shared throwback photos and fan art, engaging with fans in a casual, personal tone. No official fandom name or rituals have been documented.[edit]

Daveigh Chase's legacy is a study in contrasts, the sweet voice of Lilo and the haunting face of Samara. In August 2026, iFANN's Global Fame Engine evaluated her career but she does not currently hold a placement in the published rankings, either globally or within any specific scope. This absence from the rankings, however, does not diminish her cultural footprint. Her fanbase, while modest in size, her Instagram had roughly 59,000 followers at her passing, is deeply devoted, organized around the enduring cult classics Donnie Darko and Lilo & Stitch. There is no formal fandom name; instead, fans bond over shared memories of her iconic performances. The most retold story among them is the chilling TV-crawling scene from The Ring, a moment that has become a cornerstone of horror pop culture. Her dual legacy as both a beloved Disney heroine and a terrifying horror icon ensures her work continues to be discovered by new generations, even without a current ranking.[edit]

Chase originally auditioned for the role of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films but did not get the part. During production of Lilo & Stitch, her voice changed due to puberty, so she re-recorded all of Lilo's lines at a higher pitch to match the character. She was a fan of the band My Chemical Romance and attended several of their concerts. In 2003, she released a single called "I Can Hear the Bells," but it did not chart. She briefly pursued a music career, releasing that single, and her height was 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m). Among the legends fans share, her portrayal of Samara in The Ring remains the most iconic, the image of the ghostly girl crawling out of a television is a story retold at every horror movie marathon. Another beloved legend is her voice work as Lilo, which is often cited as a benchmark for child voice acting, capturing the character's heart and spirit. The most tragic legend, however, is the story of her final years: initial reports of her death cited meningitis, but later official records revealed AIDS as the cause, and it was widely reported she was homeless despite leaving a six-figure estate, a poignant detail that has become part of her lore.[edit]

Daveigh Chase was born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to John Schwallier and Kathy Chase. She had one older brother, whose name she kept private. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she was raised by her mother, who worked as a manager and later a nurse. Chase never married and had no children. She lived in Los Angeles during her acting years and later moved to a quieter area. She had a dog named Kona, who was her companion until her death.[edit]

She co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko, Naomi Watts in The Ring, and Bill Paxton in Big Love. She worked closely with directors Richard Kelly, Gore Verbinski, and Dean DeBlois.[edit]

Daveigh Chase kept her personal life very private. No public romantic relationships, engagements, or marriages were ever confirmed during her lifetime. Media reports and interviews do not mention any known partners. As of her death in 2026, she was reported as single with no known children.[edit]

At the time of her death in 2026, iFANN's editorial analysis estimates Daveigh Chase's net worth at $500,000. Her income came primarily from her child acting roles, with residuals from Lilo & Stitch and The Ring providing ongoing but modest revenue. She earned salaries for her work on Big Love and independent films. She did not have major endorsement deals, business ventures, or real estate holdings. After her retirement, her earnings decreased significantly. Posthumous estate income has been minimal, with no reported licensing or catalog sales.[edit]

Daveigh Chase won two major awards: the Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for Lilo & Stitch in 2003, and the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for The Ring in 2003. She did not win any other competitive awards.[edit]