Former child star dead at 33 after medical emergency

Former child actor Blake Garrett, remembered for playing Plug in the 2006 family film How to Eat Fried Worms, has died at age 33. He passed away February 8 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, his mother confirmed, adding that the family is awaiting autopsy results. Born Nolan Blake Garrett in Austin, he began performing as a child in theater productions and toured nationally with Barney’s Colorful World before gaining wider recognition in the film, whose young cast earned a Young Artist Award. In recent years he had been living in Oklahoma and had maintained three years of sobriety, something his family says he worked hard to achieve. His mother shared that he recently sought emergency care for severe shingles pain and fears his death may have been a tragic accident while trying to manage that discomfort. Friends say he had been focused on rebuilding his life and moving forward positively.