Jessica Campbell, “Freaks and Geeks” and “Election” Actor Who Later Practiced Medicine in Portland Area, Has Died

Jessica Campbell, the former teen actor who starred in Election and Freaks and Geeks and later practiced naturopathic medicine in Portland, died at the end of December. She was 38 years old.

A cause of death has not yet been disclosed, but family members described it as unexpected.

TMZ reported Wednesday that Campbell collapsed at home Dec. 29, and had been "complaining of congestion and felt like she was getting a cold," but had no other symptoms. Autopsy results are still pending.

The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that an individual named Jessica Campbell died in Multnomah County on Dec. 29 but couldn't release any further information.

It's not clear how long Campbell lived in the Portland area, but Portlanders of a certain age would recognize her from her role as Tammy Metzler in Election, one of the smarter, darker entries in the teen-movie wave of the late 1990s.

Campbell's acting career, while short, includes one other iconic role: On the
much-loved Freaks and Geeks, she played Amy, the self-assured, caustic tuba player who goes out with Ken, played by Seth Rogen, and reveals to him that she's intersex. The episode won a 2001 GLAAD Media Award for its handling of intersex identity.

"Some of my favorite memories of making Freaks and Geeks are of watching Jessica Campbell and @sethrogen figure their relationship out in improvisations," Freaks and Geeks creator Judd Apatow tweeted. "Jessica was so funny and an amazing, thoughtful actress. What a terrible loss."

Journey Integrative Medicine, a naturopathic clinic in Vancouver, Wash., that Campbell owned, added a tribute to Campbell on its home page. According to her bio, Campbell specialized in providing complementary care to cancer patients.

Last week, her family launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral and probate costs and for the care of Campbell's 10-year-old son. As of Wednesday evening, the fundraiser had brought in more than $30,500.

"Traveling the world, acting, becoming a doctor, being Mom to the coolest kid ever; these bucket list items wove the quotidian fabric of her reality," Campbell's cousin Sarah wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Her passion for life and the people in it was astounding. In addition to the impressive energy she poured into her own life, Jessica, on multiple occasions, dropped everything to travel across state lines and care for her loved ones in need. She was fun, she was loud, she was compassionate and loyal; no matter what she did, she was always uniquely Jessica."