The Nashville community is mourning the loss of a rising star.
Isabelle Tate, who appeared as Julie in the pilot episode of Ryan Murphy’s 9-1-1: Nashville, died Oct. 19 in her home state of Tennessee, her talent agent Kim McCray, confirmed on Facebook. She was 23.
“I’ve known Izzy since she was a teenager and she recently returned to acting,” Kim wrote in her Oct. 21 post. “She booked the first series she auditioned for, 9-1-1: Nashville. She had a wonderful time.”
The agent added, “I was so lucky to know her and she will be greatly missed by so many.”
Isabelle’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed. E! News has reached out to McCray Agency for comment but has not yet heard back.
In her obituary, Isabelle’s family detailed how she “wanted to save the world.”
“Isabelle loved volunteering her time to all things, particularly animals—her idea of a fun outing was visiting an animal shelter and doling out lots of love,” the obituary read. “Isabelle was full of fire, a fighter, never once making excuses for the fact that she might have a disability relative to others.”
The late actress was born and raised in Nashville and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a business degree. She was active in the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease foundation, as she lived with the nerve condition, and her loved ones asked that donations be made to the organization in lieu of flowers.
Her family also noted in her obituary that Isabelle was “musically inclined,” adding that she spent “hours writing and recording songs with friends and even publishing a few.”
“What she loved the most though,” the obituary added, “was spending time with family and friends, always the life of the party.”
Isabelle had previously detailed her experience with her nerve disorder, emphasizing the importance of living life to the fullest.
“I don’t know why these were the cards I dealt with in my life, but I can’t change it so I’m choosing to embrace it,” she wrote in a 2022 Instagram post. “This has really changed my perspective on life and if I’ve learned anything from this it’s to appreciate the little things that are easily taken for granted."
As she put it, “You really never know what someone else is going through, so please always be kind and compassionate.”
Isabelle is survived by her sister Danielle Tate, mother Katerina Kazakos Tate and stepfather Vishnu Jayamohan and father John Daniel Tate.
For a closer look at Isabelle's life, keep reading.
Isabelle's Dream
Isabelle Tate—born Aug. 8, 2002—was an aspiring actress, making her screen debut in the pilot episode of Ryan Murphy's new series 9-1-1: Nashville.
9-1-1: Nashville Debut
In the Oct. 9 episode, she played Julie, a woman who was struggling to get a good view from her wheelchair at a strip club, where Captain Don Hart's estranged son Blue Bennings (Hunter McVey) was an exotic dancer.
When Julie and her friend couldn't see the show, she told the woman in front of them, "Sorry, you're blocking our view." The woman spat back, "Shut up, Hot Wheels."
When Blue saw the interaction—despite intimate physical contact from dancers being illegal in the city limits—he decided to give Julie an evening to remember with a very sensual lap dance.
Unfortunately, the club's manager wasn't too happy about it, slapping Blue—who later becomes a firefighter under Don (Chris O'Donnell)—on the wrist, reminding him that he's "not a person," but rather "a set of abs."
Sharing Her Truth
In 2022, Isabelle shared her Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease diagnosis—also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy—in an emotional message on Instagram.
"When I was 13, I got diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease that weakens my leg muscles over time," she wrote in the post. "Over the years, I was going on with my life and would notice little things get more difficult for me, but not so much where it stood out to me significantly."
"Recently, it's really progressed and I've come to terms that if I was to live my life to the fullest, I need to use a wheelchair at times," she continued. "This has been a difficult journey for me because having to accept help and surrender to the progression of this condition has been extremely hard."
She reflected on what she struggled with most as her muscles atrophied: accepting help and recognizing the progression of the condition.
"I hated that it was not only breaking me down physically, but I was allowing it to also break down my spirit," she explained. "I don't know why these were the cards I was dealt with in life, but I can't change it, so I'm choosing to embrace it and not let it define me."
More Than an Actress
While Isabelle made her acting debut in the latest 9-1-1 spinoff, she was also fond of songwriting, according to her obituary.
"She was also quite musically inclined," her family shared, "often spending hours writing and recording songs with friends and even publishing a few."
A Case of the Travel Bug
Despite Isabelle navigating her CMT diagnosis for nearly a decade before her death, she was sure to make the most of her time. Indeed, she documented her travels around the world with her sister Danielle Tate and her crew of friends. From Oahu, Hawaii, to Lisbon, Portugal, Isabelle was sure to enjoy some fun in the sun.
Nashville Pride
Isabelle—a Nashville, Tennessee, native—proved she was a true hockey fan by attending multiple Nashville Predators games with her sister.
A Love for Live Music
Along with sporting events, the actress also loved attending live music events. In fact, she and her friends were enchanted by Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour show in Nashville in May 2023. But her love for the activity went even further back as the then-16-year-old couldn't help but gush over Bazzi's performance at Music Midtown in 2018.