Disney Channel builds a specific kind of connection with its audience.
The movies show up when you are young enough that they become part of how you remember a summer. You learn the songs. You quote the dialogue with your friends. The actors on screen, most of them barely older than you, start to feel familiar even though you have never met them.
Which is why news like this lands the way it does.
Carla Jeffery, who played Bree in the first three Zombies films, has died at 33.
Her death was announced on Tuesday, September 1, in a statement from her manager, Carla Alexander of Alexanders Talent Management. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
The Statement
Her management company shared the news 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, calling Jeffery “more than a client; she was family.”
The statement asked for privacy for her family and loved ones.
Carlon Jeffrey shared a heartbreaking screenshot of his final texts to his twin sister, Carla Jeffrey, who passed away today💔:
— sitcom crave (@sitcomcrave) September 3, 2026
"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
Bree
Jeffery originated the role 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 well past its first film.
She returned for Zombies 2 in 2020 and Zombies 3 in 2022, then voiced Bree in the animated spinoff Zombies: The Re-Animated Series.
Four projects. Same character. Roughly seven years.
Kids who watched the first film were finishing high school by the third.
Zombies 3 was her final live-action performance. She did not return for Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, but she attended the 2025 premiere to support her castmates.
What Her Costars Said
Tributes came quickly.
Milo Manheim, who plays Zed, remembered her as “the sweetest person I have ever met.”
Trevor Tordjman wrote that he would never forget her energy and spirit.
Chandler Kinney called her a shining light and a beautiful soul.
Worth noticing what those messages have in common. Cast tributes usually mention talent or work ethic. These were almost entirely about who she was to be around.
She Started at 12
Jeffery was born in Houston, Texas, and began acting at 12.
Her first credited role was a younger version of Mo’Nique’s character in the 2006 film Phat Girlz. She later played Keysha across several episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, a recurring role opposite Larry David, years before Zombies.
Other Disney Channel credits included Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up!, and Best Friends Whenever. Longtime viewers were watching her on the network well before Bree, in shows from a completely different era of the channel.
Outside Disney: Southland, iCarly, Suburgatory, Scream Queens, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and American Vandal. Comedy, drama, satire, network television, spread across nearly two decades.
Her final credited performance was a 2025 episode of the audio drama Asanté.
Carla Jeffery, best known for playing Bree in Disney’s “ZOMBIES” franchise, has died at the age of 33.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 2, 2026
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
Why This Hurts
Zombies hold a particular spot in recent Disney Channel history.
It arrived in 2018, when the network’s original movie output had slowed considerably from its peak, and became one of the last real DCOM phenomena. Hit songs. Live tours. Merchandise. A fanbase that stayed through four films and a series.
Bree was there from the start.
Not the lead, but the friend. And in ensemble stories, the friend is often the character people see themselves in. Fans who grew up with these movies never experienced Bree as a small role. She was part of the group.
Jeffery was 33 and had been working since she was 12. More than two decades in an industry that is brutally hard to stay in, and she built a career anyway.
Remembering Her
The tributes have come from castmates, from fans who watched as kids, and from people who only ever knew her through a character.
Her family has asked for privacy, which is worth respecting.
What her team chose to lead with says a lot. Joy. Humor. A bright spirit shared with audiences around the world.
For a lot of people, that was Bree exactly.
Cause of death has not been disclosed. Details reflect the statement shared by Alexanders Talent Management.
