Five months after his death, the cause of former child actor Blake Garrett's passing has been determined to be an accidental overdose, according to a summary report from the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner obtained by TMZ. Garrett died on February 8 at age 33 from acute fentanyl toxicity.
He was found at a sober living facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time of his death, his mother, Carol Garrett, had expressed concern that he may have unintentionally overdosed while attempting to self-medicate for pain from a shingles diagnosis. Garrett had reportedly been sober for three years prior.
Garrett, born Nolan Blake Garrett in Austin, Texas, was best known for his role in the 2006 film adaptation of the children's book How To Eat Fried Worms. The movie garnered mixed reviews, but Garrett and the film's primary cast received the award for Best Young Ensemble Cast at the 28th Young Artist Awards in 2007.
Garrett's mother stated that in his final days, he was experiencing excruciating pain due to shingles. He had reportedly sought medical attention at an Oklahoma emergency room for the condition. Shingles is a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.
Garrett began his acting career at a young age, appearing in local theater productions. He later joined a traveling theater production of Barney's Colorful World, which led to his screen debut in a video adaptation released in 2004. Following How To Eat Fried Worms, Garrett did not appear to have further acting credits.