Carla Jeffrey, the actress who spent six years bringing the cheerleader Bree to life across Disney's “Zombies” franchise, has died at age 33. Her death occurred on September 1, 2026, according to The Mirror US, with her talent agency confirming the news publicly the following day.
Jeffrey's manager, Carla Alexander, confirmed her death and said in a statement that Jeffrey “loved what she did and was a great person,” adding that she was “more than a client” and was “family,” according to KTLA. Alexander, founder of Los Angeles-based Alexanders Talent Management, represented Jeffrey for more than 20 years, having signed her when she was just 12 years old, per KVNU. Alexander said her heart was with Jeffrey's family and loved ones, and told KTLA that more information would be shared in the coming days. No cause of death has been disclosed by her family or representatives.
From Houston to Seabrook High
Jeffrey was born on July 10, 1993, in Houston, Texas, to military parents, and moved to Los Angeles with her family in 2005 to pursue acting alongside her twin brother, Carlon Jeffery, who also appeared on Disney Channel in “A.N.T. Farm,” according to Famous Birthdays. Her manager's account of a career that began at age 12 lines up with that early move west, and the report notes she began her career at that age. She went on to appear in Disney productions including “Good Luck Charlie,” “Shake It Up!,” and “Best Friends Whenever” before landing the role that would define her career.
Jeffrey played Bree, an enthusiastic cheerleader and loyal friend to Zed at Seabrook High, in “Zombies 2” in 2020 and “Zombies 3” in 2022, per Daps Magic. Bree was established as a key member of the zombie community within the franchise, and the “Zombies 2” cast alongside Jeffrey included Milo Manheim as Zed, Kingston Foster as Zoey, Kylee Russell as Eliza, Ariel Martin as Wynter, and James Godfrey as Bonzo. Jeffrey later voiced the character again in the animated spinoff “Zombies: The Re-Animated Series,” which debuted on Disney Channel on June 28, 2024, extending the storyline beyond the original movie trilogy.
A Franchise Built on Streaming Records
The original “Zombies” television film premiered on Disney Channel on February 16, 2018, drawing 2.57 million live viewers and eventually helping the franchise accumulate more than 250 million total streaming hours on Disney+ by July 2025, according to ScreenRant. Its sequel proved even bigger: when “Zombies 2” premiered on February 14, 2020, it became cable television's number-one telecast of the year among non-sports and non-news programming, pulling in nearly 5 million viewers in Nielsen Live+7 ratings, per a Disney Kids & Family release.
Jeffrey stayed connected to the franchise up until the year before her death. She attended the world premiere of “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires” at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on July 8, 2025, and had also walked the red carpet at the premiere of “The Prom Pact” at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles in March 2023. Outside the Disney universe, she expanded her range with roles as Keysha Black in HBO's “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and as Janilla in NBC's “Southland,” and she appeared in the film “Phat Girlz” alongside Mo'Nique.
Co-Stars Remember a ‘Sweetest Person’
News of Jeffrey's death drew an immediate response from her “Zombies” co-star Milo Manheim, who played Zed opposite her Bree throughout the franchise. Manheim paid tribute on social media, calling her “the sweetest person I have ever met,” according to KVNU. The tributes from Manheim and from Alexander describe an actress whose warmth off screen matched the loyalty her character showed on it, though the family has not addressed how she died.
