Has Hollywood's horror movie curse struck again? How The Ring's tragic Daveigh Chase is latest star to meet an untimely end after role in bone-chilling blockbusters

By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:05, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 01:05, 19 June 2026 The sudden death of The Ring's Daveigh Chase has revived fears of a curse plaguing Hollywood's horror movie sets.  Chase died aged 35 after being hospitalised for malnutrition, following health battles with meningitis, a blood infection and sepsis. Her name is now among a host of horror movie actors to pass away tragically early, which includes a roll call of stars from the Poltergeist franchise, It series and even martial arts expert Bruce Lee's son. Chase first found fame as a child in 2002 with her haunting portrayal of Samara Morgan in The Ring. She was also beloved for her voice role as Lilo in the hit 2002 Disney film Lilo & Stitch and the follow-up TV show, and she voiced Chihiro Ogino in Spirited Away. In 2006, she played Rhonda Volmer in 32 episodes of the series Big Love with Chloe Sevigny about a polygamist Mormon family. Other appearances included roles in Donnie Darko, Beethoven's 5th, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, ER and Mercy. The Ring star Daveigh Chase's manager and stepsister frantically searched for her among Los Angeles homeless population in the final months of her life Chase first found fame as a child in 2002 with her haunting portrayal of Samara Morgan in The Ring She slipped out of the spotlight in 2013 and retreated from public view entirely in 2017, when she posted on social media for the last time. In her more recent years she was reported to be living on the streets, with her stepsister and manager desperately searching local homeless communities to try and find her. A man claiming to be her partner, Roy Hernandez, started a GoFundMe in her name after she was admitted to hospital in early June, although her manager appeared skeptical. 'I can confirm Daveigh has a trust account set up at SAG to cover all costs.'  Chase's early death is the latest in a long line of actors famous for their roles in horror movies. Most notable was the youngster Heather O'Rourke, who leapt into Hollywood at just six years old with her chilling portrayal of clairvoyant child Carol Anne Freeling in the Poltergeist trilogy. She cemented her place in the genre as one of its most memorable characters, but tragically died at just 12 years old months before the 1988 release of Poltergeist III. Heather died from septic shock as a result of an intestinal blockage, following an operation and two cardiac arrests. Her death shocked the acting community, but also sparked theories about a supposed 'Poltergeist curse' after three of her co-stars also died young. Heather O'Rourke who leapt into Hollywood at just six years old with her chilling portrayal of clairvoyant child Carol Anne Freeling in the Poltergeist trilogy  Heather (pictured with mother Kathleen) died suddenly aged just 12 from septic shock - the fourth member of the Poltergeist franchise to pass away Dominique Dunne (seen centre in the film The Day The Loving Died in 1981) appeared as the older sister in the second Poltergeist movie, but was killed by her ex-boyfriend months later The first was Dominique Dunne, who debuted in Poltergeist as Heather's character's older sister, Dana Freeling. The role was Dunne's breakthrough into stardom and saw her go on to headline the Western film The Shadow Riders, only for her life to be cut tragically short soon after. Just months after Poltergeist's release, the 22-year-old was at her home in West Hollywood when she and her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, began arguing on the driveway. Sweeney attacked Dunne, strangling her, and putting her into a coma. She died five days later on November 4, 1982.  The franchise was hit by a second tragedy in 1985, with the death of Julian Beck, who played doomsday cult leader Reverend Henry Kane in Poltergeist II. He was known for his stage directing and poetry alongside his acting in a career that spanned decades. Beck co-directed Living Theatre and also appeared in various films and TV shows, including an episode of Miami Vice.  The actor had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1983, and died aged 60 two years later on September 14, 1985 - before the release of the second installment of the horror franchise.  He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2004, some 19 years after his death. Beck's passing was followed two years later by William Sampson, also an actor in Poltergeist II, at the age of 53, from kidney failure following a heart and lungs transplant. He had an extensive career in rodeo performing last 20 years before he was scouted by producers of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to play Chief Bromden. Sampson went on to have roles in The Outlaw Josey Wales, Fish Hawk and The White Buffalo, and played Taylor the Medicine Man in Poltergeist II: The Other Side. Unfortunately Sampson, a Muscogee Nation actor and rodeo performer, suffered from scleroderma, a chronic degenerative condition that affected his heart, lungs, and skin. He died of post-operative kidney failure following the transplant.  The deaths of the four actors within just a few years led to rumours of a 'Poltergeist curse' which theorists claimed started from the year after the first movie was released. But earlier this year, Heather O'Rourke's mother hit out at the urban legend, which had provoked wild speculation about her daughter's death, saying it overshadows the truth and Heather's memory. Brandon Lee (pictured in The Crow), the son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, was a rising star before one of the most tragic deaths in Hollywood history cut his life short Brandon Lee (pictured in the Way of the Dragon) died after he was shot with what an actor believed was a blank round while on set of The Crow She told the Daily Mail in March: 'I hope that people remember her for the talent that she had and also remember what kind of person she was. 'She was a good person, she cared about other people, and I hope that somewhere down the line, they'll remember her for the work that she accomplished in her short life.' Reports of a 'curse', however, are far from restricted to the Poltergeist franchise - other horror stars have also fallen from Hollywood fame to sadly early deaths. Child star Jonathan Brandis began his early career as a model before transitioning into acting by his early teens. The actor appeared in a television series adaptation of It, based on the novel by Stephen King, in 1990 aged just 14. He went on to star as Bastian Bux in The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter and teen prodigy Lucas Wolenczak on seaQuest DSV. At the height of his fame it was reported Brandis would receive 4,000 pieces of fan mail per week, but by the early 2000s his career had stalled. After a role in the 2002 film Hart's War which Brandis hoped would be his comeback was considerably downsized, he is said to have become depressed and started expressing thoughts of suicide. He was found hanged on November 11, 2003 by friends, and died the next day aged 27. The son of Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee, died following an incident on set of the only horror movie he ever made.  Lee was just 28 when he was accidentally fatally shot while filming a scene of The Crow, in which he was cast in the starring role. The 1994 gothic horror included a scene in which Lee's character was shot and killed by thugs. Little Judith Barsi was just ten years old when she was murdered by her father, who also killed her mother and himself  Production used a real revolver for the scene, and Lee was fatally hurt after an actor fired the weapon, which he believed to be loaded with blanks. However a fragment of a dummy shell had been left in the barrel from a previous shoot and this struck Lee with almost the same impact as a live round. He died later in hospital after undergoing hours of surgery in a bid to save his life.  His death, in March 1993, is widely seen as one of the most tragic events to ever take place on a film set, and let to radical improvements in on-set safety measures.  But perhaps the youngest, and most tragic actor to befall the 'curse' was little Judith Barsi, who appeared in the 1987 film Jaws: The Revenge. She had previously appeared in commercials and voiced characters in movies including Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven, which were both released posthumously. Both Judith, then just 10 years old, and her mother were killed in a double murder-suicide perpetrated by her father, Jozsef Barsi, in 1988. Judith's father was said to be an abusive alcoholic who repeatedly threatened to kill his wife and child. Her mother, Maria, had told friends she wanted to leave and divorce her husband, but was too scared to do so. Before the filming of Jaws, Jozsef held a knife to Judith's throat and again threatened to kill her if she didn't return. On the morning of July 28, 1988, a neighbour heard a gunshot and called police. Maria was found in the hallway while Judith was found in her bed, having been shot, before Jozsef turned the gun on himself. No comments have so far been submitted. 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