9-1-1: Nashville actor Isabelle ‘Izzy’ Tate dies at 23 after rare neuromuscular illness

Isabelle Tate dies at 23

The entertainment world is mourning the loss of Isabelle “Izzy” Tate, a young actor who was just beginning to make her mark.

Tate, best known for appearing in the pilot episode of 9-1-1: Nashville, passed away peacefully on Sunday at the age of 23 after living with a rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative neuromuscular condition.

Her passing was confirmed by The McCray Agency, which represented her, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

The news has left her family, friends, and colleagues heartbroken.

Kim McCray, owner of the agency and a longtime mentor, paid a touching tribute on social media. “We are deeply saddened and completely heartbroken to share that Isabelle Tate passed away … I’ve known Izzy since she was a teenager and she recently returned to acting. She booked the first series she auditioned for, 9-1-1: Nashville. She had a wonderful time.”

Her family also released a deeply moving message, describing Tate as “full of fire, a fighter, never once making excuses for the fact that she might have a disability relative to others. She was also quite musically inclined, often spending hours writing and recording songs with friends and even publishing a few. What she loved the most though was spending time with family and friends, always the life of the party.”

Born and raised in Nashville, Izzy’s creativity shone from a young age. She acted and modelled as a child before stepping back to pursue higher studies, later graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in business. But her love for performing never faded.

Her return to acting earlier this year was a moment of pure joy — she auditioned for 9-1-1: Nashville and landed the part immediately. The pilot episode, filmed in June and released on 6 October, marked her first major role as an adult actor.

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To honour her memory, the show’s upcoming 30 October episode will include an in memoriam tribute card for Tate.

9-1-1: Nashville, starring Jessica Capshaw and Chris O’Donnell, is part of the popular first-responder franchise created by Ryan Murphy Television and produced by ABC and 20th Television.

Tate is survived by her mother Katerina Tate, stepfather Vishnu Jayamohan, father John Daniel Tate, and sister Daniella. The family has asked that, instead of flowers, donations be made to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association, continuing Izzy’s legacy of strength and hope.