In the 1960s, the world was first introduced to The Addams Family via its original sitcom. Subsequently, that would also be the moment we were all introduced to the original Wednesday Addams played by Lisa Loring.
Do You Remember the Original Wednesday Addams? Our Hearts are Broken
Sadly, on January 30 it was reported that at the age of 64 Loring has suddenly passed away. In a statement shared by her friend, Laurie Jacobson, CNN reports that Jacobson confirmed her cause of death was a “massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure.”
In a follow-up statement, Loren’s longtime agent, Chris Carbaugh confirmed the news of her death, revealing that she was “surrounded by family” when she passed away on Saturday. “She brought to life one of the most iconic characters in Hollywood history that is still celebrated today,” Carbaugh said, per CNN. “Lisa loved sharing her memories and meeting all her fans across the world.”
As Jacobson further revealed in her statement, Loring had reported “had been on life support for 3 days. Yesterday, her family made the difficult decision to remove it and she passed last night. She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams.”
According to CNN, Loring was just 6 years old when she landed the role of Wednesday Addams in the early 1960s. And she held that role for two years until the show ended.
She later reprised her role as Wednesday Sr. in the made-for-TV film Halloween with the New Addams Family in 1977. The latest actress to play the iconic role of Wednesday Addams, Jenna Ortega, said her performance “paid homage to Lisa Loring, the first Wednesday Addams. I did a little bit of her shuffle that she does.”
Loring would remain in show business and held several other roles over the years. Loring had two children at the time of her passing, our thoughts and prayers remain with them.