Lisa Loring, the Original Wednesday Addams, dies aged 64

'She is embedded in the tapestry of pop culture and in our hearts always.'

Lisa Loring, the original actor behind Wednesday Addams' appearance in The Addams Family, has died. She was 64. Loring's daughter Vanessa Foumberg confirmed the actor died Saturday (28 January) due to complications from a stroke, Variety reported. "She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands," Foumberg told the publication. Loring's friend Laurie Jacobson also confirmed the news on Facebook where she paid tribute to "our friend". She wrote: "It is with great sadness that I report the death of our friend, Lisa Loring.

"Four days ago she suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure. She had been on life support for three 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. "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."

The Munsters star Butch Patrick also paid tribute to Loring in a Facebook post. He wrote: "Very sorry to hear of my dear friend Lisa Loring's passing. We were very close and worked together often. "I know she was very weak. I was in her company just a few weeks ago. Godspeed my friend." She's survived by two daughters, Vanessa and Marianne. Loring was born in the Marshall Islands and lived in Hawaii before coming to Los Angeles with her mother. She started modeling at the age of three and then was cast in an episode of 'Dr. Kildare'. The actress played Wednesday on The Addams Family for two seasons before moving on to shows like The Pruitts of Southampton, The Girl From UNCLE, Fantasy Island, Barnaby Jones and more. The actor's shimmying frug dance called 'The Drew' gained renewed attention with the new hit Netflix series Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega in the lead role. The series, released in November, follows Wednesday as she attends Nevermore Academy and tries to master her psychic abilities, thwart a killing speed and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago. Loring also had a recurring role as Cricket Montgomery on As the World Turns from 1980 to 1983. Also in the '80s, the actress had parts in genre movies including Savage Harbor and Blood Frenzy. She also worked as a makeup artist on adult films.