Jenna Ortega is paying tribute to the original Wednesday Addams, actress Lisa Loring, who died Saturday at age 64. The Wednesday star revealed she was “absolutely devastated” after hearing the news of her predecessor’s passing, sharing two photos of Loring as a child on the set of the 1960s series The Addams Family to her Instagram Story, writing also, “Thank you for everything.”
Loring played the original Wednesday on the ABC series – the first adaptation of Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons – from 1964 to 1966. The series would spawn a number of revivals and spinoffs throughout the year, with Christina Ricci taking on the character of Wednesday in the 1990s film adaptations which also starred Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston and Orega embodying the character in the smash hit 2022 Netflix series.
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A viral moment from Netflix’s Wednesday paid tribute to Loring, as the original actress was part of the inspiration for Ortega’s choreography at the high school dance. Ortega confirmed during an appearance on The Tonight Show in December that she included “a little bit of her shuffle that [Loring] does” from the original TV series in order to “pay homage” to her.
Born Lisa Ann DeCinces on Feb. 16, 1958, Loring moved to Los Angeles from the Marshall Islands and began to model when she was just a toddler. She made her onscreen debut in a 1964 episode of NBC’s medical drama Dr. Kildare before being cast as Wednesday Addams and would go on to have roles in shows such as the Pruitts of Southampton, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Fantasy Island, Barnaby Jones and As the World Turns.
Loring’s daughter Vanessa Foumberg told The Hollywood Reporter that her mother passed away Saturday night at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, due to complications from a stroke caused by high blood pressure. “She went peacefully with both her daughters [Vanessa and Marianne] holding her hands,” she told the outlet.
Loring’s friend, Laurice Jacobson, also paid tribute to the actress in a 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.”
