Original Wednesday Addams actor Lisa Loring dies at 64

WASHINGTON: American actor Lisa Loring, popularly known for bringing the fictional role of Wednesday Addams to life in 'The Addams Family' sitcom in the mid-1960s, died at the age of 64.

According to Deadline, a USA-based entertainment news outlet, the news of Loring's death was shared by her close friend Laure Jacobson on January 28 in a Facebook post after the actor was taken off life support following "a massive stroke."

"It is with great sadness that I report the death of our friend, Lisa Loring. 4 Days ago she suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure. She had been on life support for 3 days. Yesterday, her family made the difficult decision to remove it and she passed last night," she wrote.

"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," Loring's friend continued.

In the first live-action version of Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons, Loring played the original Wednesday. Sixty-four episodes were produced during the course of the show's two seasons from 1964 to 1966. Her work as Wednesday recently resurged following Jenna Ortega's portrayal of the iconic character in the Netflix series.

Loring, who was born Lisa Ann DeCinces in Kwajelein, Marshall Islands on February 16, 1958, reprised her Wednesday role in 1977 in the television movie 'Halloween with the New Addams Family'.

Apart from this, she has made appearances on multiple shows like 'The Phyllis Diller Show', 'The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.', 'Fantasy Island', 'Barnaby Jones' and 'As the World Turns'. Her last acting credit was in 2015 with the film 'Doctor Spine', as per Deadline.