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Former child actor Blake Garrett, best known for his role in the 2006 comedy film How to Eat Fried Worms, has died at the age of 33, his mother, Carol Garrett, told TMZ.
Blake died in Oklahoma on Sunday (February 8), one week after being rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with shingles, according to his mother. The former child star's cause of death hasn't yet been determined, however, his mother fears it could be accidental and suspects he may have self-medicated due to the viral infection.
Carol said Blake had been sober for the past three years and was living a really good life in Tulsa, Oklahoma, prior to his death. The Austin, Texas, native appeared in several roles as a child, initially in local productions of Aladdin and His Magical Lamp and Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Tribute before joining the Barney's Colorful World International Tour at the age of 10.
Garrett starred in How to Eat Fried Worms alongside Luke Benward, Hallie Eisenberg and Adam Hicks as Plug, a bully henchman opposite the main character Billy, who is dared to eat worms without throwing up. The cast won the Best Young Ensemble in a Feature Film award at the Young Artists Awards in 2007.
Shingles is a painful rash reported to affect one in three people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and results in less than 100 deaths annually.