A former child star best known for his role in the comedy “How to Eat Fried Worms” has died at the age of just 33.
Blake Garrett died in Oklahoma on Sunday — a week after he was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with shingles, his mom, Carol, told TMZ.
The actor’s cause of death hasn’t been revealed, but his mom fears that it may be accidental. She suspects he may have been self-medicating following his diagnosis.
Blake Garrett, a former child star, has died at the age of 33.Blake Garrett / Facebook
Garrett, from Austin, Texas, played Plug in the 2006 flick “How to Eat Fried Worms,” starring alongside Luke Benward, Hallie Eisenberg and Adam Hicks.
The Bob Dolman-directed movie revolves around the main character Billy, played by Benward, who is dared to eat worms without throwing up.
Plug was the bully’s henchman, but Garrett told the Oklahoman that actors got on with each other while on set.
The cast collected the Best Young Ensemble in a Feature Film award at the Young Artists Awards in 2007.
Before appearing on the screen, he starred in the theater productions “Aladdin and his Magical Lamp,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Annie” and “Grease.”
He was also part of the cast of “Barney’s Colorful World International Tour” between 2003 and 2004, as reported by Deadline.
The actor (left) played Plug in “How to Eat Fried Worms.”Gran Via/New Line/Imagine Ent/Walden Media/Kobal / Shutterstock
Garrett recalled how children were fascinated by his hair.
“Some of them had never seen my hair color,” he said.
Shingles is a type of painful rash that affects around one in three people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fewer than 100 people die from shingles each year, health officials say.
