Getty Images Jessica Campbell.
Actress Jessica Campbell “died suddenly and unexpectedly last month,” according to TMZ. Best known as Tammy Metzler in the 1999 comedy Election, Campbell was 38.
TMZ reported that Campbell died on December 29 in Portland, Oregon. Her family is still waiting for the results from her autopsy, which was conducted by the Multnomah County Medical Examiner.
Speaking to TMZ, Campbell’s cousin, Sarah Wessling, said the former actress turned naturopathic physician “worked a normal day” at her practice before returning home. “Sarah says Jessica went to the bathroom but never came out, and when her aunt went to check on her … she found her collapsed on the floor. We’re told the aunt tried to revive her but couldn’t, and neither could EMTs when they arrived.”
Campbell Acted in 6 Projects Over the Course of a Decade
According to IMDb, Campbell was born on October 30, 1982, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She appeared in six projects over the course of her decade-long acting career. Along with playing the role of Tammy Metzler in Election, Campbell appeared in the 2002 comedy Dad’s Day, The Safety of Objects, and two episodes of the Primetime Emmy-winning TV series Freaks and Geeks in 2000. Her most recent role was in 2002 as Doris in Junk.
Campbell’s LinkedIn profile indicates that she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied anthropology and religious studies and graduated Cum Laude. From Santa Monica College, she earned her associate’s degree in liberal arts and earned the highest honors. She studied as a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and Master of Acupuncture at the National University of Natural Medicine from 2011 to 2016.
Campbell’s Focus Was on Naturopathic Oncology & Palliative Care
At the time of her death, Campbell worked as a naturopathic physician at Journey. Short for Journey to Wellness, Journey specializes in providing care to patients “who have a current or past cancer diagnosis, or who are interested in cancer prevention,” according to LinkedIn. The company uses Chinese, naturopathic and conventional medicine to help heal individuals suffering from a variety of health problems.
Campbell’s bio on the Journey website reveals that her mother worked as an emergency medicine physician and was a single parent. In college, Campbell studied anthropology, focusing on the “medical traditions of nonwestern cultures, as found in Asia and indigenous cultures.”
Campbell attended NCNM to pursue her master’s degree in acupuncture and a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. The final paragraph of her bio reads, “Dr. Campbell is passionate about working collaboratively with conventional and complementary practitioners in order to provide the best care possible to patients. She believes integrative medicine is the way of the future. And she is so excited that she gets to do what she loves: helping patients reach their optimal wellness, no matter their diagnosis.” At Journey, Campbell was a general physician and part of a five-year residency for naturopathic oncology and palliative care, according to LinkedIn.
In addition to her work as a physician at Journey, Campbell worked as a licensed acupuncturist, specializing in pain, nausea, neuropathy, anxiety, GI distress and insomnia.
READ NEXT: Fans Think Something Happened to This American Idol Star’s Face