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- 3 months ago
From child stars to beloved TV favorites, these Disney performers left an unforgettable mark on audiences before their lives were cut short far too soon. Join us as we look back at the tragic stories behind memorable roles in “Queen of Katwe,” “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club,” “Ice Princess,” “Goof Troop,” “Tom and Huck,” “The Famous Jett Jackson,” and more.
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00:00Our first game is called Well Begun is Half Done.
00:03I don't like the sound of that.
00:05Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're looking at 10 Disney actors
00:09who tragically lost their lives at a relatively young age.
00:12Lee always remembered Columbia as his home,
00:15and in death, his hometown continues to pay tribute to one of its brightest stars.
00:21Davey Chase.
00:23God, I am wrong!
00:25I'm already in my room!
00:28For an entire generation, Davey Chase was the heart of one of Disney's most emotionally resonant movies.
00:35She famously voiced Lilo in Lilo and Stitch,
00:37capturing the quirky, loving spirit of a young Hawaiian girl who adopts an extraterrestrial fugitive.
00:43Chase reprised the role across multiple spinoffs,
00:46and even took home an Annie Award for her incredible work.
00:50Three days ago, I met Stitch at the shelter.
00:52I paid $2 for him.
00:54See the snap? I own him.
00:57If you take him, you're stealing.
01:01Tragically, she faced a number of personal battles throughout her adult years,
01:05and completely retreated from the public eye,
01:07at one point even living on Skid Row in Los Angeles.
01:11The tragedy culminated in June 2026,
01:13when Chase was admitted to the hospital for severe malnutrition.
01:17Her condition quickly deteriorated,
01:19and she died of septic shock and organ failure on June 16th.
01:23She was 35 years old.
01:25The voice of a much-loved animated Disney character is dead at the age of 35.
01:31Davey Chase was a child star who scored big as the voice of Lilo in Disney's Lilo and Stitch.
01:44Mark Lynch
01:45Before Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears became global superstars,
01:51they shared the screen with Mark Lynch, who went by the name Tate.
01:55As a mousketeer on the all-new Mickey Mouse Club,
01:57Lynch was a beloved cast member known for his impressive vocal chops and charismatic stage presence.
02:03And girl, next time you come my way, I'll know just what you'll say.
02:13After his Disney days, he continued pursuing entertainment,
02:17notably competing on American Idol and performing in the Broadway production of The Lion King.
02:22Sadly, Lynch struggled with a number of personal demons and fell into severe substance use.
02:28And in December 2015, the former child star was found dead in his Harlem apartment by his roommate.
02:35The medical examiner later confirmed that he passed away at age 34
02:39from the physical effects of long-term alcohol abuse.
02:42I remember once I sang the national anthem here for a Chicago Bulls game.
02:45Oh, say can you see...
02:51Michelle Trachtenberg
02:52Penny, where's your uncle?
02:54I thought he was with you.
02:57This is bad. Come on, Penny, we gotta find him.
03:00There's something rotten in Riverton.
03:01Her career exploded on Nickelodeon,
03:04but Michelle Trachtenberg eventually made the transition to Disney.
03:08She starred as Penny in the 1999 live-action Inspector Gadget,
03:12and later led the beloved 2005 sports dramedy Ice Princess as Casey Carlyle,
03:17a brilliant mathlete who becomes a champion figure skater.
03:20It is a sport, Mom. It is a thrilling and beautiful sport.
03:25Are you sure it doesn't just make you feel beautiful?
03:29So what if it does?
03:31What is so horrible about that?
03:33About feeling strong and graceful and beautiful for once in my life?
03:38Trachtenberg was a staple of 90s and 2000s teen cinema,
03:42renowned for her sharp wit and undeniable screen presence.
03:45But she privately battled some severe health issues,
03:48and she was found unresponsive in her New York apartment in February 2025.
03:53She passed away at just 39 years old from complications of diabetes,
03:58devastating a generation of fans.
04:00No foul play.
04:01In fact, it appears that she died of natural causes,
04:04but what a heartbreaking discovery for her mother.
04:07Michelle Trachtenberg was at home.
04:08It was about 10 minutes or so after 8 o'clock this morning
04:13when police say her mother discovered Michelle Trachtenberg unconscious and unresponsive.
04:19Dana Hill.
04:20Start a packin', Maxie!
04:21Get up in the world!
04:23Leave home?
04:25But, but, but Dad, what about my friend?
04:27If you grew up in the early 90s,
04:30you almost certainly heard Dana Hill's raspy and energetic voice.
04:34While she had a successful live-action career in the 80s,
04:37Disney fans know her best as the voice of Max Goof in the beloved Goof Troop.
04:42Hill perfectly captured the rebellious yet lovable spirit of Goofy's pre-teen son
04:47and made the character an instant favorite.
04:50Sure have had some good times here.
04:53And you'll have more in Spoonerville, too.
04:56You'll see.
04:56Tragically, Hill battled severe type 1 diabetes for most of her life.
05:01In fact, it was this diabetes that had stunted her physical growth
05:05and pushed her toward a career in voice acting.
05:07In May 1996, Hill slipped into a diabetic coma
05:11and suffered a massive stroke just a few days later.
05:14She later passed away on July 15th, being just 32 years old.
05:19Oh, Jack, I can't stand the thought of being away from you for a whole two weeks.
05:23Well, it'll be like before we met.
05:25Brad Renfro.
05:38This star was one of the most promising young actors of the 90s,
05:43boasting a raw talent that earned him critical acclaim.
05:46While he was known for intense dramas like The Client,
05:49Disney fans will forever remember him as the mischievous Huckleberry Finn in Tom and Huck,
05:54starring opposite Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
06:11Renfro's effortless charisma made him a natural fit for the iconic literary character.
06:16Unfortunately, Renfro became heavily entangled in substance use
06:20as he entered adulthood and had multiple run-ins with the law,
06:24both of which drastically derailed his once-promising career.
06:27In January 2008, the 25-year-old Renfro was found dead
06:32in his Los Angeles apartment from an accidental overdose.
06:36I thought we was friends, Huck.
06:40You thought wrong.
06:42I ain't got no friends.
06:44I ain't got time for them.
06:47But if I did have one, I'd want him to be like you.
06:51Michael Gagliotta.
06:53Jersey, Jersey.
06:54Oh, Nick, that's yours.
06:55Here you go, Nick.
06:57Huh?
06:58Nick, it'll look great on you.
06:59Yeah, if you ever grow.
07:01Shut up, Morgan.
07:02For kids growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s,
07:05the jersey was a television staple.
07:08The show followed a group of teens who used a magical football jersey
07:11to transport themselves into the bodies of professional athletes.
07:15Michael Gagliotta starred as Nick Leiter,
07:17the heart and soul of the friend group.
07:19His energetic and relatable performance
07:21helped the show achieve massive success
07:23during its three-season run.
07:25Whoa!
07:27Did you guys see that?
07:29See what?
07:29See what?
07:30My body was stuck into it.
07:33And I was stretched.
07:35It's...
07:36Charles Whitson!
07:38I was him!
07:39But following the series' conclusion,
07:42Gagliotta stepped out of the spotlight
07:44and battled numerous health issues,
07:46including hypertension,
07:48high cholesterol,
07:49and diverticulitis.
07:50In January 2016,
07:52a friend discovered Gagliotta dead
07:54in his California home at just 31.
07:57The coroner reported that the former Disney star
07:59had passed away from high blood pressure and heart disease.
08:02Worried.
08:04The 49ers were lost without you.
08:06It was your play.
08:08Welcome to the Monday Night Football Club.
08:12Thanks, Nick.
08:13Lee Thompson Young.
08:14You know, Red?
08:16Baby, you're right.
08:17Enlighten me.
08:18Let's try to name one positive thing about you.
08:22Give me a minute.
08:23As the star of the famous Jet Jackson,
08:26Lee Thompson Young was a defining figure for a generation of viewers.
08:30Playing a teen actor trying to live a normal life
08:32while also starring as a secret agent,
08:35Young exuded immense charm and maturity in the role.
08:38He also cemented his Disney legacy
08:40with a memorable role in the beloved TV movie Johnny Tsunami.
08:44And unlike many child stars,
08:46he successfully transitioned into adult acting,
08:49even landing a prominent role on the hit TNT series Rizzoli and Isles.
08:53How come you don't have a police uniform?
08:56Actually, detectives don't wear uniforms,
08:58but I'm just on call today.
08:59We're going to go play some softball.
09:00However, behind his ever-present smile,
09:03Young suffered from bipolar disorder and severe depression.
09:07In August 2013,
09:09police were called to do a wellness check
09:11after he failed to show up for work.
09:13And they discovered that the 29-year-old actor
09:15had tragically taken his own life.
09:18He would sometimes call me and, you know,
09:21say he was feeling a little sad.
09:23But, um, again, it was always a quick, you know, recovery.
09:27Matthew Garber
09:29Now, who was after you?
09:31Father's.
09:32What?
09:33He brought us to see his bank.
09:35I don't know what we did,
09:36but it must have been something dreadful.
09:38He sent the police after us,
09:39and the army and everything.
09:41Michael, don't exaggerate.
09:43Few Disney movies are as universally loved as Mary Poppins.
09:47Matthew Garber charmed audiences as Michael Banks,
09:50the cheeky but lovable young boy
09:52taken under the wing of Julie Andrews' magical nanny.
09:55Garber starred in two other Disney films
09:58before retiring from acting to focus on his education.
10:02Close your mouth, please, Michael.
10:03We are not a codfish.
10:06Unfortunately, Garber tragically contracted hepatitis
10:09during a trip to India in 1976.
10:12By the time his family managed to bring him back to London for medical care,
10:16the disease had aggressively spread to his pancreas,
10:19and it was deemed terminal.
10:20He passed away from hemorrhagic,
10:22necrotizing pancreatitis the following year at just 21.
10:26In 2004, Disney posthumously honored Garber
10:30as an official Disney legend for his iconic contributions.
10:34Love us as a son and daughter
10:37and never smell of barley water.
10:43I put that in too.
10:45Bobby Driscoll
10:55He was Disney's first true live-action child star.
10:59Bobby Driscoll won a Juvenile Academy Award for his work in film
11:03and starred in Disney classics like Song of the South and Treasure Island.
11:07Most famously, he served as the animation reference
11:10and the iconic voice of the title character in 1953's Peter Pan.
11:14Well, I'm certainly proud of you, you blockheads.
11:20I bring you a mother to tell you stories.
11:23A mother?
11:24And you shoot her down.
11:26Sadly, Driscoll was hit with severe acne
11:29as he entered his teenage years
11:31and Disney abruptly terminated his contract,
11:34finding him unmarketable.
11:35Struggling to find work,
11:37he soon spiraled into heavy substance use
11:39and even spent time in prison.
11:41In 1968, Driscoll's body was founded
11:44in an abandoned New York City tenement.
11:47He died alone and unidentified at just 31
11:50and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave.
11:53Nobody calls Hannah, coward, and lives.
11:56I'll fight you man to man.
11:57With one hand behind my back.
11:59Cameron Boyce
12:00Hello.
12:02I'm Luke.
12:03And you are?
12:05Way too old for you.
12:07This loss shook the modern Disney community to its core.
12:11Cameron Bryce was a powerhouse for the Disney Channel,
12:14bringing unmatched joy and physical comedy
12:17to the role of Luke Ross in Jesse,
12:19and later starring as Carlos
12:20in the wildly popular Descendants franchise.
12:23Well, they're not taking my Carlos
12:25because I'd miss him too much.
12:27Really, Mom?
12:28Yes.
12:28Who would touch up my roots,
12:30fluff my fur,
12:30and scrape the bunions off my feet?
12:32Yeah, maybe a new school wouldn't be the worst thing.
12:34Beloved by his castmates and fans alike,
12:37Boyce was highly dedicated to philanthropy
12:39and raised thousands of dollars for various charities.
12:43And in July 2019,
12:45the world was left speechless
12:47when Boyce passed away in his sleep
12:49due to a seizure caused by SUDEP
12:51or sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
12:54He was only 20 years old.
12:55His family has since launched
12:57the Cameron Boyce Foundation
12:58to help cure epilepsy
13:00and honor his exceptionally bright
13:03and kind-hearted legacy.
13:05That's what we continue to hear
13:06that narrative over and over.
13:08He was all about elevating others.
13:10You heard the tributes about him.
13:11Just 20 years old
13:13and what he was able to do.
13:14Huge impact.
13:15Yeah, that's right.
13:16Thank you, Paula.
13:16Were you left heartbroken by these deaths?
13:18Let us know in the comments below.