Disney Channel’s ‘Zombies’ Star Carla Jeffery Dies at 33

There is a particular kind of connection that Disney Channel builds with its audience. The movies arrive when you are young enough that they become part of how you remember a summer. You learn the songs. You watch the same film enough times that the dialogue becomes shorthand with your friends. And the actors on screen, most of them barely older than you, become familiar in a way that feels personal, even though you have never met them. That is what makes news like this land so hard on a fandom. Carla Jeffery, who played Bree in the first three Zombies films, has died. She was 33. Her death was announced on Tuesday, September 1, in a statement shared by her manager, Carla Alexander of Alexanders Talent Management. A cause of death has not been disclosed. For an entire generation of Disney Channel viewers, Bree was a constant across three films and a spinoff series, and the response from fans and castmates over the past day has reflected exactly how much that role meant.

The Statement From Her Team

The announcement came from her management company on social media. “As Bree in Disney’s hit ZOMBIES franchise, Carla shared her joy, humor, and bright spirit with audiences around the world,” the agency wrote, adding that Jeffery was “more than a client; she was family.” The statement closed by asking for privacy for Jeffery’s family and loved ones as they mourn.

Carlon Jeffrey shared a heartbreaking screenshot of his final texts to his twin sister, Carla Jeffrey, who passed away today💔: “Hey Sis Call me back when you get this..I was just calling to see how your day went! I love you to the moon & back sis🌙♋️ I just want you to know… pic.twitter.com/CUsd8GQfGR

— sitcom crave (@sitcomcrave) September 3, 2026

Her Role in the Zombies Franchise

Jeffery originated the role of Bree in the 2018 Disney Channel Original Movie Zombies. Bree was Addison’s best friend and a cheerleader at Seabrook High, and she became one of the most recognizable supporting characters in a franchise that grew considerably beyond its first film. Jeffery reprised the role in Zombies 2 in 2020 and Zombies 3 in 2022. She later voiced Bree in the animated spinoff Zombies: The Re-Animated Series. That is four projects across the same character over roughly seven years, which is a meaningful run in a franchise that audiences grew up alongside. Viewers who watched the first film as kids were finishing high school by the third. Zombies 3 was her final live-action performance. She did not return as Bree in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, though she attended the film’s 2025 premiere to support her castmates.

Carla Jeffery, best known for playing Bree in Disney’s “ZOMBIES” franchise, has died at the age of 33. Her talent agency confirmed the news in a statement: “Our hearts are broken as we mourn the loss of our beloved Carla Jeffery.” pic.twitter.com/qNsFUDmuLT

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 2, 2026

Tributes From Her Castmates

Several of Jeffery’s former costars shared tributes after the announcement. Milo Manheim, who plays Zed in the franchise, remembered her as “the sweetest person I have ever met.” Trevor Tordjman wrote that he would never forget her energy and spirit. Chandler Kinney described Jeffery as a shining light and a beautiful soul. The consistency across those messages is worth noting. Cast tributes often focus on talent or professionalism. These focused almost entirely on who she was to be around.

A Career That Started Early

Jeffery was born in Houston, Texas, and began acting at age 12. Her first credited role was playing a younger version of Mo’Nique’s character in the 2006 film Phat Girlz. She later appeared as Keysha across several episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, a recurring role that put her opposite Larry David well before the Zombies films. Her other Disney Channel credits included appearances in Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up!, and Best Friends Whenever. For longtime Disney Channel viewers, that means Jeffery was appearing on the network years before Bree, in shows that defined a different era of the channel. Outside Disney, she appeared in Southland, iCarly, Suburgatory, Scream Queens, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and American Vandal. That is a genuinely varied list spanning comedy, drama, satire, and network television across nearly two decades. Her final credited performance was in a 2025 episode of the audio drama Asanté.

Why This Is Hitting the Disney Community So Hard

The Zombies franchise occupies a specific place in recent Disney Channel history. It arrived in 2018, when the network’s original movie output had slowed considerably from its peak, and it became one of the last true Disney Channel Original Movie phenomena. The films produced hit songs, sold out live tours, generated merchandise, and built a fanbase that has stayed engaged through four films and a series. Bree was part of that from the beginning. She was not the lead, but she was the friend, and supporting characters in ensemble stories often become the ones audiences see themselves in. Fans who grew up with these movies did not experience Bree as a minor role. They experienced her as part of the group. Jeffery was 33. She had been working since she was 12, which means she spent more than two decades in an industry that is difficult to sustain a career in, and she built one anyway.

Remembering Her

The tributes over the past day have come from castmates, from fans who watched the films as children, and from people who knew her only through a character she played for seven years. Her management asked for privacy for her family, which is worth honoring. What her team chose to highlight in their statement says a great deal. Joy. Humor. A bright spirit shared with audiences around the world. For a lot of people, that is exactly what Bree was. Cause of death has not been disclosed. Details reflect the statement shared by Alexanders Talent Management.