Lisa Loring, actress who played original Wednesday on ‘The Addams Family,’ dies at 64
FILE-Lisa Loring attends the Chiller Theatre Expo Fall 2019 at Parsippany Hilton on October 25, 2019 in Parsippany, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
Lisa Loring, the actress well-known for playing Wednesday Addams in the original horror sitcom "The Addams Family," died at 64.
Loring’s daughter, Vanessa, confirmed to TMZ that her mother died Saturday at a hospital in Burbank, California after she suffered a stroke due to high blood pressure.
Laurie Jacobson, a friend of Loring, paid tribute to her on Facebook. "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."
FILE-"The Addams Family" show 1964. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
The actress was born Lisa Ann DeCinces in 1958 in the Marshall Islands and lived in Hawaii briefly before moving to Los Angeles with her mother. She was given the stage name Lisa Loring and started modeling at age 3.
Loring was six years old when she landed the role to play Wednesday Addams on the beloved TV show from 1964 to 1966.
"The Addams Family" ended after two seasons, and Loring went on to play the role of Susan "Suzy" Pruitt in the short-lived sitcom "The Pruitts of Southampton" from 1966 to 1967, according to IMDB.com.
FILE-"The Addams Family" show May 19, 1964. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
She appeared in the television film "Halloween with the New Addams Family" in 1977. Loring also appeared on the TV shows "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.," "Fantasy Island," and "Barnaby Jones," and later earned a recurring role playing the character Cricket Montgomery on "As the World Turns" from 1980 to 1983, The Hollywood Reporter noted.
Loring also had roles in a few films in the 1980s, including "Savage Harbor" and "Blood Frenzy, Variety reported.
She resumed her acting career in the mid-2010s and appeared in the 2015 movie "Doctor Spine." TMZ reported actress Jenna Ortega, who plays the role of the new Wednesday in the Netflix original series, credited Loring for her work in an interview.
The actress is survived by her two daughters, Marianne and Vanessa, Variety reported.
This story was reported from Washington, D.C.