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The Addams Family
Lisa Loring, the actress who played Wednesday Addams in the original Addams Family series, has died. She was 64.
Loring’s death was announced by her friend Laurie Jacobson, who shared the news in a tribute posted to Facebook Sunday (Jan. 29). She wrote, “It is with great sadness that I report the death of our friend, Lisa Loring. 4 Days ago she suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure. She had been on life support for 3 days. Yesterday, her family made the difficult decision to remove it and she passed last night.”
Noting Loring’s pop culture legacy, Jacobson continued, “She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams,” before ending her note by writing, “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.”
Loring’s daughter, Vanessa Foumberg, also confirmed her mother’s death, sharing in a statement to Variety, “She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands.”
Loring was born in the Marshall Islands and later moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles with her mother, where she began modeling at age 3, according to Variety. She began playing her most famous character, Wednesday Addams, in 1964 and continued to play the role through 1966.
As the original Wednesday, Loring served as inspiration for Jenna Ortega, who portrayed the famous character in Netflix‘s Wednesday series. Ortega told Jimmy Fallon last year that she “paid homage to Lisa Loring, the first Wednesday Addams,” with her viral dance, explaining, “I did a little bit of her shuffle that she does.”
Following Loring’s run on The Addams Family, she appeared in The Pruitts of Southampton, followed by The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. and Fantasy Island. She later landed a recurring role in soap opera As the World Turns, playing Cricket Montgomery for three years between 1980 and 1983.
Loring survived by her daughters, Marianne and Vanessa.
