Lisa Loring, original Wednesday Addams, dies at 64
Lisa Loring, the actor who originated the role of Wednesday Addams onscreen, has died. She was 64.
The “Addams Family” and “As the World Turns” star died Saturday after a stroke, her daughter Vanessa Foumberg confirmed to Variety.
“She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands,” Foumberg told Variety.
Laurie Jacobson, a friend, also paid tribute to Loring on Sunday in a heartfelt Facebook post:
“She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams,” Jacobson wrote.
“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.”
Jenna Ortega kills as the dead-eyed, boarding school-bound Wednesday Addams in the streamer’s triumphant update to a pop culture institution.
Loring made her TV debut in a 1964 episode of the medical drama “Dr. Kildare” before delivering her breakout performance as Wednesday. She played the brooding daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams in the classic “Addams Family” TV series, which aired from 1964 to 1966.
The character has recently become popular among a new generation of fans thanks to Jenna Ortega’s acclaimed performance in the Netflix series “Wednesday,” which premiered late last year. Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1991 “Addams Family” movie and its sequels, also appears in the Netflix spinoff and reacted to news of Loring’s death by posting a broken-heart emoji on Instagram.
In the 1980s, Loring appeared in the long-running soap opera “As the World Turns” as Cricket Montgomery. Her other TV and film credits include “The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.,” “Fantasy Island,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Savage Harbor,” “Way Down in Chinatown” and “Doctor Spine.” She also worked on adult films as a makeup artist under the pseudonym Maxine Factor, according to Variety.
Butch Patrick, who played young Eddie Munster on the Addams Family-esque series “The Munsters” — which also aired from 1964 to 1966 — remembered Loring via Facebook as a “dear friend.”
“We were very close and worked together often,” Patrick wrote. “I know she was very weak. I was in her company just a few weeks ago. Godspeed my friend.”
Loring is survived by her daughters, Marianne and Vanessa.
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