Lisa Loring, who made her mark as the iconic Wednesday Addams in the classic television series “The Addams Family” has sadly passed away at 64.
Loring “passed away on Saturday surrounded by her family,” longtime agent Chris Carbaugh stated.
“She brought to life one of the most iconic characters in Hollywood history that is still celebrated today,” Carbaugh stated. “Lisa loved sharing her memories and meeting all her fans across the world.”
The ex-child star had become a mom and grandmother, her representative shared, adding: “She will be missed dearly.”
Laurie Jacobson, a friend of Loring’s, took to Facebook to announce her passing, sharing that she had… “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,” Jacobson said. “She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams.”
News of her passing inspired an outpouring of grief on social media, with one individual tweeting: “Farewell to Lisa Loring, the person who DEFINED Wednesday Addams at a time when she was just a frowning newspaper drawing.”
In 1964, six-year-old Loring was the perfect fit for Wednesday Addams – with her pale complexion and pigtails in tow. She brought to life the death-obsessed character on “The Addams Family” sitcom until its two year run ended.
Taking the role of Wednesday Sr. in 1977, she made the television film “Halloween with the New Addams Family.”
Loring’s deadpan portrayal of the character, inspired by Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons, made an indelible mark that enabled other actresses to follow in her steps. Christina Ricci is one such example; she starred as Wednesday in “The Addams Family” and its sequel “Addams Family Values” from 1991.
Jenna Ortega was particularly inspired by Loring when Tim Burton’s Netflix comedy-horror film “Wednesday” debuted last year. Her version of the beloved pop culture icon is sure to leave you spellbound!
“I paid homage to Lisa Loring, the first Wednesday Addams. I did a little bit of her shuffle that she does,” Ortega said on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in December.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the Marshall Islands native Lisa Ann DeCinces was given her stage name Loring when she began modeling at 3 years old.
After her successful performance as Wednesday in “The Addams Family,” Loring continued to star in various shows such as Phyllis Diller’s sitcom “The Pruitts of Southampton.” Subsequently, she won a recurring role on the popular CBS soap opera “As The World Turns,” acting out the character of Cricket Montgomery.
She has also graced the small screen in such series as “The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.,” “Fantasy Island,” and the classic hit show, “Barnaby Jones.”
