A former child actor best known for his role in the 2006 comedy “How to Eat Fried Worms” has died at just 33.
Blake Garrett died Sunday in Oklahoma, one week after he was hospitalized and diagnosed with shingles, his mother, Carol, told TMZ.
An official cause of death has not been released, but his mother fears it may have been accidental. She believes Garrett could have been self-medicating after learning of the diagnosis.
Garrett, who was from Austin, Texas, played Plug in “How to Eat Fried Worms,” appearing alongside Luke Benward, Hallie Eisenberg, and Adam Hicks.
The Bob Dolman-directed film follows Billy, played by Benward, after he is dared to eat worms without getting sick. Garrett portrayed the bully’s sidekick, though he later said the young cast got along during filming.
The ensemble won Best Young Ensemble in a Feature Film at the 2007 Young Artist Awards.
Before his screen role, Garrett 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, according to Deadline.
Garrett once joked about the attention he got from younger fans because of his appearance.
“Some of them had never seen my hair color,” he said.
Shingles is a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus and affects about one in three people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fewer than 100 deaths linked to shingles are reported each year, health officials say.
