Carla Jeffery revealed the role she was waiting for in final interview before death aged 33

Zombies actress Carla Jeffery spoke candidly about her hopes for the future in one of her final interviews before her tragic death at the age of 33.

Jeffery, who famously played cheerleader Bree in the first three Disney Channel Zombies movies, died on Tuesday, September 1. Her management company, Alexander’s Talent, confirmed the news on Wednesday. 

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Carla Jeffery, who passed away on September 1, 2026, at just 33 years old,” the statement reads. 

“Carla joined the Alexanders Talent Management family at the age of 12. For more than 20 years, we had the privilege of watching her grow into a beautiful, vibrant and incredibly talented woman whose radiant smile could light up any room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Alexander’s Talent Management (@alexanderstalent) 

“As Bree in Disney’s hit Zombies franchise, Carla shared her joy, humor and bright spirit with audiences around the world.”

The company went on to say she was more like “family” than a client, and extended its condolences to her family and loved ones. 

At the time of writing, no cause of death has been publicly revealed. 

While Jeffery was best known for Zombies, she had started acting at a young age, first appearing in the 2006 film Phat Girlz. The actress went on to appear in Curb Your Enthusiasm, iCarly, Shake It Up and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Her twin brother, rapper and actor Carlon Jeffery, is a fellow Disney Channel star, having played Cameron Parks in A.N.T. Farm.

Carla Jeffery opened up about her career and future in candid final interview

In August 2025, just over a year before her death, Jeffery sat down with fellow former child star Giovonnie Samuels for a powerful conversation on The Tokens Podcast.

During the interview, Jeffery spoke candidly about struggling with her confidence and body image throughout her career, saying that while landing Zombies had made her feel more confident, some insecurities still lingered.

She recalled questioning her appearance when she first watched herself as Bree, but said the audience response eventually helped change her perspective. “It’s not about how you look, it’s about what you do and what you deliver,” she remembered telling herself.

Jeffery also reflected on what it meant to be a young Black actress on Disney, describing herself as the “token Black girl” in Zombies and saying she wanted to represent “for all my Black girls but also for the thick ones”. 

By Zombies 2, she felt she had to “go even harder and represent for my people,” while also explaining that she sometimes felt pressure to stand out and make her characters impossible to ignore.

This is what made the response from young Black fans particularly meaningful. “I absolutely love getting those types of comments from the girls,” she said, recalling seeing children dressing up as Bree. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Carla Jeffery (@carlajjeffery) 

Growing tearful, Jeffery added, “That just really made me feel like, ‘See, girl, it’s not about how big you are and everything. I mean, you’ve got young Black girls looking up to you.’ That’s what I want to keep doing.”

Later in the interview, the actress admitted her career had become more difficult following the pandemic, with the industry’s shift towards self-taped auditions taking a toll on her confidence.

“After the first year of that, I literally felt like I was gonna stop,” she explained, later admitting that she questioned whether she was good enough. 

Despite those doubts, Jeffery remained hopeful about what could come next. After not returning for Zombies 4, she said she was waiting for an opportunity to move beyond the upbeat characters she’d become known for.

“I’m just really waiting for that, that serious [role],” she said, to which Samuels reassured her, “It’s coming.”

The pair even joked about Jeffery eventually winning an Emmy or Oscar, with Samuels telling her to remember the prediction when she gets on stage to accept it.

Towards the end of the conversation, Jeffery thanked Samuels and the Black actresses who had come before her for inspiring her throughout her career.

“I looked at every young Black woman, from Nickelodeon to Disney to just all the shows… Y’all gave me hope,” she said. 

Featured image credit: Disney Channel/Instagram/@carlajjeffery