If you enjoyed horror movies, especially those from the early 2000s (you know, when horror was still good), there’s a strong chance The Ring scared the pants off of you. After seeing the film, you probably didn’t trust televisions anymore and flinched every time you heard static noise. And you definitely didn’t answer unknown phone calls anymore (sorry, telemarketers). At the center of all the horror was Samara Morgan, the long-haired nightmare who crawled out of a well and out of television sets and into pop culture. She was played by Daveigh Chase, who was just 12 years old when the film was released in 2002. 23 years later, Chase looks nothing like the ghost who killed VHS tapes for everyone.
Daveigh Chase is 35 now. That means she’s a bit older, a bit wiser, more stylish (certainly if you look at her Instagram account) and, honestly, probably thankful that she’s not being stopped at the mall by people whispering “seven days” under their breath anymore.
Scroll through her Instagram and you’ll find a young woman into cats, dogs, clothes, interior design, and travel. Of course she’s absolutely nothing like the witch-like character she once played. That was all make-up and acting. In 2026, she posts snapshots of her daily life, her fabulous outfits, and the quiet moments she shares with her friends and animals. It’s the kind of care-free feed that you’d probably expect from a character in Lilo & Stitch. She voiced the former in video games and TV shows.
Before Samara ever climbed out of that well, Chase was already a hardworking child star. She popped up in commercials and voice roles across various genres. In 2001, she even appeared in Donnie Darko as Samantha Darko, the younger sister of Donnie. A year later, she voiced Chihiro in the English dub of Spirited Away, a performance that has been praised across the globe. So, yeah, she was quite popular as a young star.
Still, Samara was probably her biggest role, although Chase never returned to film new scenes for the sequels. The Ring Two and Rings relied on archival footage instead. It worked visually, but it also underlined how tied the character was to Chase’s original performance.
According to IMDB, Chase’s last leading role came in 2016’s American Romance, a low-budget thriller that critics hated. Dann Gire called it “dull and just plain icky.” After that, Chase stepped out of the spotlight… for good, it seems. Legal troubles followed in 2017 and 2018, including misdemeanor charges related to drug possession.
Today, Chase doesn’t seem interested in chasing relevance or rebooting Samara for nostalgia clicks. She’s just enjoying her life. She’s at peace. But maybe one day… she’ll crawl back out of the well again. Who knows? Samara Morgan isn’t completely dead.
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