OAN Shannon Kelland
UPDATED 11:24 AM PT – Monday, January 30, 2023
The original The Addams Family sitcom star who played Wednesday Addams, Lisa Loring, has died at the age of 64.
The child star’s longtime agent Chris Carbaugh reported that she had passed away surrounded by her family.
“She brought to life one of the most iconic characters in Hollywood history that is still celebrated today. Lisa loved sharing her memories and meeting all her fans across the world,” he said
A friend of Loring’s, Laurie Jacobson, also updated fans about her health condition on Facebook.
Loring had “suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure,” she said.
Jacobson continued to explain how the star had been on life support for three days. Loring’s family made the difficult decision on Saturday night to remove it. She passed soon after.
Fans clocked to social media to remember to the icon.
Loring was the model for the pale, pigtail-wearing Wednesday after her portayal in the sitcom The Addams Family in 1964. She was casted at six years old and played the character until the series ended two years later.
She played the character again when she appeared as Wednesday Sr. in the television film Halloween with the New Addams Family in 1977.
Loring was known for her deadpan delivery of the character, which was based on the New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams. Her performance of the character served as inspiration for other actresses, including Christina Ricci, who starred as Wednesday in the 1991 hit movie The Addams Family and its sequel, Addams Family Values.
The most recent actress to play Wednesday was Jenna Ortega, who said her version of the pop-culture icon in Tim Burton’s Netflix comedy horror “Wednesday,” was inspired by Loring.
When The Addams Family show ended, Loring appeared in various short-lived shows. Some that were best known were The Pruitts of Southhampton, Fantasy Island and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. She also performed in a few low-budget horror films.
In the early 1980’s she secured another memorable recurring role as the Cricket Montgomery on As the World Turns.
Loring semi-retired from acting in the mid-1990’s following a friend’s suicide and due to her own drug addictions.
Loring was a mother and grandmother. She is survived by her two daughters.