Lisa Loring, the original Wednesday Addams, dies at 64
Lisa Loring, who played Wednesday Addams in the original seriers of The Addams Family, has passed away at the age 64.
The actor recently suffered from a stroke and passed away on Saturday (28 January).
The news of her passing was shared by her close friend Laure Jacobson, who made the announcement in a Facebook post.
She wrote: “It is with great sadness that I report the death of our friend, Lisa Loring. Four days ago she suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure.
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“She had been on life support for three days. Yesterday, her family made the difficult decision to remove it and she passed last night.”
Loring’s daughter Vanessa Foumberg later confirmed her mother's passing and told Variety that she had passed ‘peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands'.
While audiences may be more familiar with Jenna Ortega and Christina Ricci, it was Loring who first played the titular role of Wednesday Addams in the 1960s.
Loring played the character in the first live action adaption of the beloved cartoon series by New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams.
The character of Wednesday was known for gothic dress and her iconic dance moves, which she shared with the family.
On-screen, she also had a love of collecting creepy pets including Lucifer the lizard and a black widow spider known as Homer.
Speaking about her iconic role in 2017, the actor said the series was like a ‘real family’.
“It was like a real family—you couldn’t have picked a better cast and crew… Carolyn Jones, John Astin — Gomez and Morticia — were like parents to me. They were great,” she told fans at the Monsterpalooza convention.
Although she was just five years old when she started playing Wednesday, her portrayal would go on to influence the hit 1991 film and more recently Jenna Ortega's Netflix version of the character.
Despite only appearing in just 64 episodes, her interpretation of Wednesday has had a lasting impact.
In her statement, Jacobson spoke about Loring’s legacy.
She wrote: “She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams.
"Beautiful, kind, a loving mother, Lisa’s legacy in the world of entertainment is huge. And the legacy for her family and friends — a wealth of humor, affection and love will long play in our memories.
"RIP, Lisa. Damn, girl…you were a ton of fun.”
Topics: News, US News, Film and TV, Netflix
Katherine Sidnell