Blake Garrett, the former child actor best known for his role as Plug in the family comedy ‘How to Eat Fried Worms’, died on February 8 in Oklahoma at the age of 33. He was found in a sober living house in Tulsa. His mother said Blake visited the emergency room a week ago after experiencing severe pain and was later diagnosed with shingles.According to a summary report from the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner obtained by TMZ, Garrett’s cause of death was listed as acute fentanyl toxicity, with the method of administration ruled an accident. His mother expressed concern that he may have been self-medicating in response to pain from the viral infection, especially since he had maintained three years of sobriety prior to the incident. He believes his death must have been a tragic accident.
Blake Garrett’s early life and theater career
Born on September 14, 1992, in Austin, Texas, Garrett began his acting career at the age of 8, landing leading roles in local theater productions in Austin. His early theater credits include portraying the magician in ‘Aladdin and his Magical Lamp’ and playing Charlie Brown in ‘Peanuts. A Charlie Brown Tribute’. Additional theater credits include appearances in ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘Annie’ and ‘Grease’, showing her versatility in many productions during her childhood.
Blake Garrett built his early career through theater productions before finding film recognition. Image credit (Instagram)
Blake Garrett’s film and television work
Garrett’s most notable film appearance came in the 2006 children’s comedy ‘How to Eat Fried Worms’, where he portrayed the character Plug. Her performance in the ensemble cast earned her recognition, as she shared a Young Artist Award the following year for Best Young Ensemble in a Feature Film. The film, written and directed by Bob Dolman and based on Thomas Rockwell’s 1973 children’s book of the same name, also stars James Rebhorn, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tom Cavanagh.
Blake Garrett’s tour and additional performance work
When he was 10 years old, Garrett traveled extensively with the arena show ‘Barney’s Colorful World International Tour’ from 2003 to 2004, where he played the role of Mike. He reprized this character in the production’s next video release, expanding his performance experience beyond traditional theater and film to live touring entertainment.