As of late, fans have sadly been mourning actress Daveigh Chase, who recently died at the age of 35. In addition to fans, a number of Chase’s former collaborators have also been speaking out and paying tribute to her. One of the latest actors to honor the late performer is Melissa Gilbert, who’s speaking out about her brief experience working with Chase. And, as part of her tribute, Gilbert also got candid about her alleged experiences with child actors and seeing “dysfunction” they were embroiled in.
Melissa Gilbert took to Instagram to acknowledge Chase’s death and included a throwback photo of the former child actor. The Little House on the Prairie alum explained that decades ago, she shot a pilot with Chase that apparently didn’t make it to air. Gilbert shared warm thoughts about working with the Beethoven's 5th alum during her formative years. And, while the pair apparently didn’t work together long on that show, it sounds like Chase left quite an impression on her older co-star due to having a lot of personality at a young age:
I shot a pilot for a series with her 20+ years ago. Two wonderful humans [Jack Coleman] and [Kevin Zegers] played my husband and son, respectively. I only worked with Daveigh a couple of days, but I could see she was bright both in countenance and in mind. She was bubbly, sweet and professional.
However, Gilbert also claimed there was “something else” she noticed while being in Chase’s presence. Gilbert went on to claim that Chase displayed “a push or need to perform” for her parents. The When Calls the Heart alum – a former child star herself – didn’t go into specifics about what she supposedly saw but went on to say that she had “been around a lot of stage parents” over the years. Gilbert then shared her thoughts on how a young actor’s life and career can be impacted by the absence of “strong parenting”:
Child stardom, in itself, is not a guarantee of dysfunction. However, when a parent or parents lose sight of who THEY are, of what their true responsibility is, and their lives revolve solely around their little star child, well, that’s where the trouble begins. It takes strong parenting to handle all that comes with it. The terrible part is, that so few child actors continue on to have careers as actors. For most, it goes away, and when that happens it not only devastates the child but it turns the whole family upside down.
What should be noted here is that it’s unclear if Gilbert is specifically accusing Chase’s parents of such behavior or just speaking generally about child star experiences. Nevertheless, Gilbert continued to express sadness over Chase’s death, which was partially attributed to substance abuse. She also wrote:
I certainly understand substance addiction disorder but this sweet girl’s death is so much more. If I had the chance to speak to any parents who were thinking about getting their children in the industry I would tell them to please, please make sure that they are doing it for the right reasons. That they will take the child to an accountant regularly so that he or she knows exactly what he or she is making, and where it is going.
Daveigh Chase reportedly died due to AIDS complications, and her condition, with chronic polysubstance use, meningitis and blood infections having been named as contributing factors. Throughout her career, Chase was best known for voicing the titular female protagonist in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, and she voiced the lead heroine in the American dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. In terms of live-action projects, Chase starred in movies like Donnie Darko and The Ring and was a main cast member on HBO’s Big Love.
Unlike child stars who leave Hollywood on their own terms and or make major comebacks, Chase – whose final film roles were in 2016 – reportedly stopped working due to personal issues. Aside from dealing with homelessness, she also had run-ins with the law as well between 2017 and 2018. Shortly before her death, Chase’s purported boyfriend, Roy Hernandez set up a GoFundMe, which he later claimed would go towards her cremation expenses. However, the fund was later denounced by Chase’s manager.
The public at large, of course, isn’t privy to the finer details of Daveigh Chase’s life as well as her career as a young actress. And, as Melissa Gilbert and more reflect on their interactions with Chase, the best fans can do is give her family and loved ones the space and respect they deserve during this time.
