Lisa Loring, original Wednesday Addams, dies aged 64

The Addams Family star Lisa Loring has died aged 64 after suffering a "massive stroke".

The original Wednesday Addams actress — a role since taken on by Christina Ricci and Jenna Ortega — passed away on Saturday (Jan 28) after being removed from her life support machine after she endured a stroke caused by "smoking and high blood pressure", according a social media post shared on Sunday.

Her friend Laurie Jacobsen wrote on Facebook: "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."

Lisa was the first to take on the youngest member of the Addams family in the 60s television programme — which was based on the Charles Addams' cartoon series that first ran in The New Yorker magazine — that ran for 64 episodes across two seasons.

Laurie deemed the actress — whose breakout project ran between 1964 and 1966 — "embedded" in Hollywood history.

She continued: "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 humour, affection and love will long play in our memories. RIP, Lisa. Damn, girl…you were a ton of fun."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkIViykv2Ts[/embed]

The ex The Pruitts of Southampton star — who was born Lisa Ann DeCinces in Marshall Islands – also had roles in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E, Fantasy Island, Barnaby Jones and Dr Kildare.

Lisa — who also had a recurring role as Cricket Montgomery in the soap opera As the World Turns — had her final acting credit with the movie Doctor Spine.

Her death was confirmed by her daughter Vanessa — who also has sister Marianne — who was by her side.

She told Variety: "She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands."

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