Blake Garrett, a former child actor best known for his role of Plug in How to Eat Fried Warms, has died aged 33 on February 8, 2026.
The news of Garrett’s sudden passing was shared by his mother, Carol Garrett, who spoke to TMZ and revealed that her son had experienced medical issues in the days that led to his death. She explained that he had gone to the emergency room following excruciating pain and was diagnosed with shingles, an infection that causes a painful rash.
Shingle Support explains that shingles, or herpes varicella-zoster, is a reappearance of chickenpox. This often happens many years after the original chickenpox infection and is manifested with rash that appears in the form of red patches. The skin is usually painful, and this pain may start even before the rash appears. Shingles make most people feel tired and generally unwell. It is also possible to have a high temperature or feel feverish for a few days.
In the case of Garrett, his mother believed he tried to treat the rash on his own before things got worse and he experienced complications. She suspects his death could be a tragic accident. However, the family is still waiting for the official cause of death to be determined following autopsy.
The child star was born Nolan Blake Garrett in Austin, Texas. His acting career started at the age of eight, when he began performing at in local productions, including a lead role as the magician in Aladdin and his Magical Lamp and as Charlie Brown in Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Tribute.
At only 10 years old, he toured nationally with Barney’s Colorful World International Tour.
“He performed for big crowds at the Civic Center in the ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as a member of the Lollipop Guild and it didn’t faze him at all. I was nervous, but he did just fine,” his mom said at the time.
Garrett’s acting career was taking off, and his mother quit her job to accompany him on tours. At the time, she explained that his earnings covered all of the family’s expenses.
“I’m really looking forward to this, but I’m going to miss my friends,” Garrett said at the time, with his mum adding: “They’ll get to come backstage and visit and have fun.”
In 2006, young Garrett experienced nationwide fame when he landed the role of Plug in How to Eat Fried Worms, one of the bullies of the new classmate boy, Billy, who eats 15 worms for 15 days in order to win a bet. This role earned him and the cast the Young Artist Award for Best Young Ensemble Cast.
To prepare for his big-screen debut, Garrett was trained by a stunt professional to do a full 360 on a bike.
“There were rows of bicycles, and they let me have first pick. There was one scene where we were riding on a gravel road and got to slide to a stop. The guys who could ride worked on that scene. They had a camera on the ground, and in one scene I slid and gravel hit the camera. They really liked that shot, and that’s the one they used in the movie,” he told The Oklahoman at the time.
Despite his successful childhood acting career, Garrett didn’t continue acting.
According to his mother, he battled addiction for some time, but had been sober for the last three years of his life and had been “living a really good life” in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Those close to him said he was rebuilding his life and was moving towards a positive direction.
Rest in peace, Blake Garrett.
Please SHARE this article with your family and friends on Facebook.
Bored Daddy
Love and Peace
