'How to Eat Fried Worms' Actor Blake Garrett Died From Accidental Fentanyl Toxicity, Medical Examiner Says

Blake Garrett, the actor who played Plug in the 2006 family movie How to Eat Fried Worms, died from acute fentanyl toxicity, according to the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. His death was ruled an accident. The ruling was reported by Us Weekly and TMZ.

Garrett was 33 years old. He died on February 8 while living at a sober living home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

After his death, Garrett's mother, Carol Garrett, told TMZ that her son had been sober for three years. She said he had recently been diagnosed with shingles, a painful illness caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. She believed he had been trying to manage severe pain while staying sober.

Garrett was best known for playing Plug, the friend of the school bully, in How to Eat Fried Worms. The movie was based on Thomas Rockwell's 1973 children's book. The cast also included Tom Cavanagh, Clint Howard, Andrea Martin, James Rebhorn, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Hallie Eisenberg.

Before appearing in the film, Garrett performed in the 2004 stage production Barney's Colorful World, Live! and toured internationally with the show. He also appeared in the stage productions Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Tribute and Aladdin and His Magical Lamp. How to Eat Fried Worms was his only movie.

In a 2006 interview with The Oklahoman, Garrett shared a favorite memory from filming. He said he enjoyed shooting a scene where he rode a bike on a gravel road and slid to a stop. He said gravel hit the camera during one take, and that was the shot used in the final movie.