Lisa Loring, the actress who brought Wednesday Addams to life on the original The Addams Family, has died. She was 64.
Loring's death was confirmed to Variety by her daughter, Vanessa Foumberg, who told the outlet the cause was a stroke. "She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands," Foumberg said.
Loring starred as Wednesday on The Addams Family from 1964 to 1966 beginning when she was 6 years old. She went on to have a role on the soap opera As the World Turns, and her other television credits included Fantasy Island, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., and Barnaby Jones. The role of Wednesday Addams would later be played by multiple other actresses including Christina Ricci and, most recently, Jenna Ortega on Netflix's Wednesday.
Loring is survived by two daughters, Marianne and Vanessa. Laurie Jacobson, a friend of Loring, said on Facebook the actress "suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure" and was on life support for three days until "her family made the difficult decision to remove it."
"She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams," Jacobson said. "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."