From TMZ: Blake Garrett — best known for his role in “How to Eat Fried Worms” — has died at age 33 … TMZ has learned.
Blake’s mom, Carol Garrett, tells TMZ … the former child star passed away Sunday. She says the family is still awaiting the autopsy results from the medical examiner to determine an official cause of death.
She tells us Blake went to the emergency room last week in Oklahoma after experiencing intense pain and was later diagnosed with shingles. Carol adds Blake may have self-medicated to cope with the pain from the viral infection, and she believes his death could have been a tragic accident.
According to Blake’s mother, he had turned his life around after becoming sober, and had been living in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In 2006, Blake had played “Plug” in “How to Eat Fried Worms,” and won Young Artist Award for Best Young Ensemble Cast in 2007.
He had also starred in the theater productions “Aladdin and his Magical Lamp,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Annie” and “Grease.”
According to the CDC, around 100 people die of shingles each year. More from the CDC:
About 1 in 3 people in the United States will develop shingles in their life. Your risk of having shingles increases as you get older or if you have a weakened immune system.
Most people who have shingles only have it one time. However, you can have shingles more than once.
The most common complication of shingles is severe pain in the area where the shingles rash occurred. This is known as postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN. Approximately 10% to 18% of people with herpes zoster will get PHN. The risk of PHN also increases with age.
READ MORE from TMZ.
🕊️ Blake Garrett the child actor in “How to Eat Fried Worms,” has died. He was 33.
What we know: https://t.co/BMdA9YYyQJ pic.twitter.com/cSWzXvG1AO
— TMZ (@TMZ) February 9, 2026
Former child actor Blake Garrett dies at 33 after suffering excruciating painhttps://t.co/5zODWYqve5 pic.twitter.com/lf4MiW6JVS
— MirrorUSNews (@MirrorUSNews) February 10, 2026
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