'How to Eat Fried Worms' Child Star Blake Garrett Has Died at the Age of 33

Although he was no longer an actor, Blake Garrett's performance in How to Eat Fried Worms is still remembered by millions. Now, TMZ is reporting that Blake has died at the age of 33. Following the news of his death, many wanted to learn more about what Blake had been up to in the years since his child stardom.

Some also wanted to better understand what Blake's cause of death was. Here's what we know about what happened to the former child star.

Although we don't know for sure yet what his cause of death was, Blake's mother was the first to announce his death, and told TMZ that she fears his death may have been accidental. It came just a week after he was rushed to the hospital and ultimately diagnosed with shingles, and his mother suspects that he was self-medicating after being released from the hospital. She didn't specify exactly what he might have been medicating with.

Blake was originally from Austin, Texas, and was best known for playing Plug in the 2006 film How to Eat Fried Worms, which also starred Luke Benward, Hallie Eisenberg, and Adam Hicks. The film focuses on a character named Billy who is dared to eat worms without throwing up. Plug was the young antagonist of the film.

Before starring in the film, Blake had also been in several theatrical productions, including Annie and Grease.

The news that Blake was sent to the hospital just a week before his death might naturally lead some to suspect that his death had something to do with the diagnosis. Shingles is a relatively common and painful rash, but it's not typically a diagnosis that results in death. At just 33, though, it seems like he was in relatively good health other than the recent diagnosis, so there's plenty we still don't know.

After How to Eat Fried Worms, Blake seems to have largely stepped away from acting, and not much is known about what he's been up to in the decades since he appeared in the film. Although some child stars become rich or famous enough to continue working into adulthood, plenty of others have stories more like Blake's, where they dabble in the industry before ultimately building a life that is largely separate from it.

Because he wasn't ever hugely famous, and because he only ever worked as a child actor, he's not someone who gets recognized on the street. It appears that he was living in Oklahoma, and at least his mother was nearby at the time of his death.

We might never learn exactly what his cause of death was, but we should respect the privacy of his family as they mourn his loss. Anyone else who is reacting to the news can put on How to Eat Fried Worms and remember the pinnacle of Blake's acting career.