By Robyn Seltzer
Staff Writer
Following the recent deaths of entertainment icons like Dolly Parton, Peter Cullen and Tim Curry, Hollywood is mourning once again. Beloved “Zombies” actress Carla Jeffery died on Sept. 1 at the age of 33.
The news was delivered by Jeffery’s talent agency, Alexanders Talent Management, which remarked that “Carla was more than a client; she was family.” The reason for the actress’s death remains unknown at this time.
Born in Houston, Texas, Jeffery had the opportunity to grow into a star from a young age. Her twin brother Carlon’s interest in the entertainment industry moved the family to California, where the siblings took acting classes. Though she was shy as a child, these classes helped Jeffery grow out of her shell and become more comfortable acting in front of others.
While many fans remember her as the giddy cheerleader Bree from Disney’s “Zombies,” Jeffery began her acting career at just 12 years old. She was featured in the 2006 comedy “Phat Girlz,” playing the young version of the main character Jazmin. From there, she jumped from television show to television show with small, one-episode roles on series like “iCarly” and “Lie to Me.” Jeffery eventually landed a more long-lasting role in the series “Curb your Enthusiasm,” appearing in 10 episodes in seasons six and seven between 2007 and 2009.
Though this could have fully launched Jeffery’s career and allow her to earn bigger roles, she continued to appear only in guest roles in series. She was featured in hit Disney shows like “Good Luck Charlie” and “Shake It Up.” At the same time, her twin brother, Carlon, was focusing on his own acting in “A.N.T Farm,” another popular Disney show. While Carlon decided to stop pursuing acting in 2014, Jeffery was featured in the movie “Teacher of the Year” at that time.
Though she had only a small role in the film, her next project turned out to be a movie called “Girl on the Edge.” In this film, Jeffery often acted opposite the lead, Taylor Spreitler, and showcased her growing talent and expansive acting skills. She followed these projects up with guest starring in more TV shows, including the comedy-horror show “Scream Queens,” until she landed her break-out role in 2018 with “Zombies.”
In this film, Jeffery dazzled audiences as Bree, the best friend to Meg Donelly’s Addison. The two girls enter high school “fired up” to join the cheer squad. Milo Manheim’s Zedd, a zombie trying to join the football team and fit in at school, falls for Addison and helps viewers see that people who look a bit different can still live side by side. Though Jeffery was not the star of the movie, Bree’s optimism and spark enchanted many fans of the “Zombies” movie. This does not seem far off from how Jeffery was as a person, since people close to her claim that she was always “bright and bubbly.”
Following Bree’s journey of becoming a cheerleading flyer and helping Addison through her journey of self-discovery with Zedd, Jeffery returned in her character’s role in the film’s 2020 sequel, “Zombies 2.” While Addison goes on her own adventures and meets new types of monsters, zombie Bonzo is taken aback by Bree, and Jeffery continues to delight audiences with her funny dialogue and sparkling persona.
Through her experience in the “Zombies” franchise, Jeffery had her first opportunity to sing for a movie. She was featured in songs like “Fired Up” and “Flesh and Bone” and showed off dance moves worthy of a cheerleader. Jeffery even joined Meg Donelly in the music video for Donelly’s song “Impress,” where Jeffery’s stardom shone bright alongside her “Zombies” co-stars Kylee Russell, Chandler Kinney and Ariel Martin.
