That hair. That twitchy, bone-snapping crawl. You know the one.
When The Ring hit theaters in 2002, it didn't just scare people; it fundamentally changed how we looked at our television sets. But if you ask the average person about the actress in the Ring movie, they usually draw a blank or picture a CGI monster. Honestly, the truth is way more interesting. It wasn't a computer program crawling out of that TV. It was a real girl.
Several real girls, actually.
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The Face That Launched a Thousand Nightmares: Daveigh Chase
Daveigh Chase was only 11 years old when she landed the role of Samara Morgan. Think about that for a second. While most kids were worrying about middle school, she was sitting in a makeup chair for hours, getting "dead skin" glued to her face.
She was incredibly young. But she was also everywhere.
The wildest part? In the exact same year she played the most terrifying spirit in horror history, she was also the voice of Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch. Talk about range. You've got one kid providing the voice for a high-energy Hawaiian girl and the physical presence for a well-dwelling vengeful ghost.
Most people didn't realize it was the same actress.
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She also played Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko. If you look at her early career, Daveigh basically owned the "creepy or quirky girl" market of the early 2000s. But Samara was different. It was a silent performance, mostly. She had to convey pure, unadulterated malice without saying a word, using only her eyes peeking through that drenched, matted hair.
Why Samara’s Movement Looked So Weird
You remember how she moved? That jittery, "stop-motion" style crawl that made your skin crawl?
A lot of people think that was just bad 2002 CGI. Wrong.
The production actually used a very low-tech, brilliant trick. They had the actress walk backward. Then, in the editing room, they played the footage in reverse. This gave her movements that "wrong" feeling—the way her shoulders shifted and how her feet hit the floor just didn't align with human physics. It’s a classic trick, but it worked perfectly because the human brain can tell when something is "off" even if it can't quite pinpoint why.
The Contortionist: Bonnie Morgan
While Daveigh Chase is the face of the first movie, she isn't the only actress in the Ring movie franchise to wear the wig. In fact, if you’re thinking of the really, really bendy stuff, you’re likely thinking of Bonnie Morgan.
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Bonnie is a professional contortionist.
She did stunts for The Ring Two and eventually took over the role of Samara entirely for the 2017 film Rings. There’s a scene in the second movie where Samara climbs up the well using her arms and legs in a way that looks like a spider. That wasn't a puppet. That was Bonnie. She can literally fold herself into a box, which makes her the perfect candidate for a ghost that spent decades cramped at the bottom of a stone circle.
A Quick History of the Samara Actresses
- Daveigh Chase: The original Samara in the 2002 remake.
- Kelly Stables: Played the "evil" Samara in The Ring Two (2005).
- Bonnie Morgan: The contortionist who did the stunts in the sequel and played the lead role in Rings (2017).
What Really Happened to Daveigh Chase?
People always wonder if the "horror movie curse" got her. It's a common trope.
She didn't disappear. But she didn't become a massive A-list movie star like her co-star Naomi Watts, either. Naomi went on to grab Oscar nominations and headline blockbusters like King Kong. Daveigh stayed more in the indie world and voice acting. She did some work in Big Love on HBO, playing a character named Rhonda Volmer.
Lately, things have been quieter. There have been some legal scrapes and personal hurdles that made the rounds in the tabloids. It's a tough transition, going from a child star in one of the biggest horror movies of all time to an adult actress in a town that always sees you as "the girl from the well."
The Impact of the Character
The actress in the Ring movie had to deal with a very specific type of fame. Because her face was covered in makeup or hair for 90% of the film, she could walk down the street without being recognized. But the image of her was on every billboard and bus stop.
That’s a weird way to be famous.
It’s actually why the movie worked so well. Director Gore Verbinski didn't want a "famous" kid. He wanted someone who felt like a blank slate. If it had been a well-known child star, we would have been thinking about their previous roles. With Daveigh, we just saw Samara.
Essential Insights for Horror Fans
If you're revisiting the franchise or just curious about how they pulled it off, keep these things in mind. First, look at the color palette. The makeup on the actress was specifically designed to look "water-logged"—bluish veins, pale skin that looks like it’s been soaking for seven days. Second, pay attention to the water. In almost every scene Samara is in, she is dripping. They had to keep the actresses constantly soaked on set, which, as you can imagine, was probably freezing and miserable.
To truly appreciate the performance, you have to watch the original Japanese version, Ringu, and compare Daveigh’s Samara to Rie Inō’s Sadako. Both actresses used Kabuki-inspired movements to create that signature jerkiness.
Your Next Steps:
- Watch the "Cursed Tape" from the 2002 film again, but look for the physical cues Daveigh Chase uses—the slight head tilts and the way she holds her breath.
- Compare the "Well Crawl" in the 2002 version versus the "TV Exit" in the 2017 Rings to see how Bonnie Morgan’s contortionism changed the character's physical language.
- Check out the 2002 press interviews with Naomi Watts and Daveigh Chase to see the stark contrast between the "scary girl" and the actual 11-year-old actress behind the scenes.