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Lisa Loring

Lisa Loring (February 16, 1958 – January 28, 2023) was an American actress best known for originating the role of the macabre child Wednesday Addams in the ABC sitcom The Addams Family from 1964 to 1966. Born Lisa Ann DeCinces in Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, to U.S. Navy parents, she began her career as a child model at age three before transitioning to acting in Los Angeles. Loring's performance as the pigtailed, deadpan Wednesday, starting at age six, became an enduring cultural icon through syndication reruns and influenced subsequent portrayals in films and series by actors like Christina Ricci and Jenna Ortega. Loring's early acting breakthrough came with a guest appearance on Dr. Kildare in 1964, followed by her signature role in The Addams Family, which aired 64 episodes and she reprised in the 1977 television film Halloween with the New Addams Family. Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, she appeared in guest spots on shows including The Pruitts of Southampton, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Fantasy Island, and Barnaby Jones. Her most substantial later role was as the recurring character Cricket Montgomery on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns from 1980 to 1983, after which her on-screen work tapered off amid personal challenges; she semi-retired from acting in the mid-1990s and later worked as a makeup artist. In her , Loring married four times: first to Farrell Foumberg in 1973 at age 15, with whom she had daughter Vanessa; second to Doug Stevenson in 1981, resulting in daughter before their 1983 divorce; third to adult film Jerry from 1987 to 1992; and fourth to Graham Rich from 2003 to 2014. She faced struggles with drug addiction in adulthood, which contributed to periods of career instability. Loring died on January 28, , at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in , at age 64, from complications of a massive induced by high and a ; she was survived by her two daughters, four grandchildren, and a . Her passing drew tributes from peers, including Munsters Butch and Wednesday star Jenna , highlighting her foundational impact on gothic pop culture.

Early life

Family and childhood

Lisa Loring was born Lisa Ann DeCinces on February 16, 1958, on in the , where her father, James P. DeCinces, was stationed as a member of the U.S. Navy. Her mother, Judith Ann (Callies) DeCinces, also had ties to the Navy, though details of her service remain limited in available records. The family led a nomadic lifestyle typical of military postings, but Loring's parents divorced shortly after her birth, with her mother gaining custody. Following the divorce, Loring was raised primarily in , where the instability of her early years was compounded by frequent moves associated with her family's military background. At a young age, she relocated with her mother to , , seeking a more stable environment amid the challenges of single parenthood. This period marked ongoing exposure to familial upheaval, as Loring navigated the effects of her parents' separation and the broader disruptions of a transient upbringing. Tragedy struck further in 1974 when Loring's mother died at the age of 34 from chronic , leaving the then-16-year-old to confront additional emotional and practical hardships. This loss intensified the sense of instability from her childhood, shaping a formative environment marked by loss and resilience before her entry into professional pursuits.

Beginnings in entertainment

Lisa Loring, born Lisa Ann DeCinces, began her entertainment career at the age of three after her family relocated from to , where she started working as a in 1961. She adopted the stage name Lisa Loring during this period to professionalize her early endeavors in the industry. Transitioning from modeling to , Loring secured her first on-screen at age six in the October 1, 1964, episode of the medical drama titled "Maybe Love Will Save My Apartment House," in which she portrayed Cindy Norcross. This debut appearance showcased her natural poise and expressiveness as a young performer. In 1966, Loring made a brief as Felicia in the episode "The Montori Device Affair" of the spy series The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. These initial modeling assignments and television guest spots quickly built her reputation in , providing the foundational experience and visibility that attracted attention from casting directors for prominent roles in major series.

Acting career

Breakthrough role in The Addams Family

At the age of six, Lisa Loring was cast as in the sitcom , which aired from 1964 to 1966, marking her breakthrough into television stardom after a screen test among five young actresses where her distinctive pout secured the role. Her early modeling work, beginning at age three, provided foundational experience in performing for the camera and helped her embody the character's poised demeanor. Loring portrayed as the precocious, daughter of and , a morbidly fascinated child who collected decapitated dolls and raised spiders, often delivering lines with a steely, emotionless reserve that contrasted the family's eccentric warmth. Signature scenes highlighted her quirky charm, such as when she played the with solemn intensity or taught the butler Lurch a wildly unconventional , emphasizing Wednesday's unapologetic individuality. Loring's interpretation of Wednesday captured the character's subversive essence, presenting a girl wise beyond her years who thrived in the without fear, clad in her iconic black dress, white collar, and twin braids. This portrayal transformed the comic strip creation by into a live-action icon, infusing the role with a lovable gloom that resonated with audiences during the show's two-season run of 64 episodes. The role's cultural significance lies in popularizing the Addams Family as a symbol of alternative family dynamics, challenging norms by celebrating the "weird" as endearing and empowering. Loring's became a foundational figure for and generations of fans, inspiring later adaptations including films, animated series, and the 2022 show, while establishing the franchise's enduring appeal in horror-comedy. She reprised the character in 1977 as the adult "Wednesday Sr." in the TV special Halloween with the New Addams Family, bridging her child performance to the evolving legacy.

Early television appearances

Following her breakthrough as , Loring's visibility from the role helped secure her next significant television opportunity in the sitcom The Pruitts of , where she portrayed "Suzy" Pruitt, the daughter of Diller's character, across the show's single season from 1966 to 1967. The series, a about a wealthy family pretending to be poor, featured Loring in a recurring supporting role that capitalized on her established child actress persona amid the era's family-oriented programming. Loring also made guest appearances in episodic television during the mid-1960s, including a role in the 1966 episode "The Montori Device Affair" of The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., where she appeared as a young girl involved in a spy gadget plot alongside her Addams Family co-star Ted Cassidy. By the late 1960s and into the 1970s, however, her opportunities became sporadic, with occasional guest spots such as Maria in a 1978 episode of Fantasy Island and roles in two 1978–1979 episodes of Barnaby Jones—including Amanda Adamson in "Indoctrination in Evil." These appearances highlighted her versatility in adventure and crime dramas but were limited in number. As Loring transitioned from child stardom in her late teens during the late and early , she encountered significant challenges, including from her iconic child role and the industry's shift toward younger or more mature performers, which stalled her career for several years. This period of limited roles reflected broader difficulties faced by navigating and changing audience preferences in network television.

Soap operas and recurring roles

Following a hiatus from acting in the early due to personal challenges, Loring experienced a career resurgence in the late through guest appearances on popular series, which paved the way for her return to serialized drama. She appeared in two episodes of the crime drama during the 1978–1979 season, portraying Lois in "Memory of a " (December 14, 1978) and Amanda Adamson in "Indoctrination in Evil" (November 1, 1979). Loring also guest-starred as Maria in the episode "The Flight of the Great Yellow Bird/The Island of Lost Women" (November 25, 1978), playing a character on the enigmatic island resort. Loring's most prominent work in daytime television came with her recurring role as Cricket Montgomery Ross on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, which she portrayed from June 1980 to December 1983, with a brief return in February 1984. Introduced as the rebellious younger half-sister of Margo Hughes and daughter of Lyla Montgomery, Cricket was depicted as a troubled teenager grappling with , including drugs and alcohol, and strained family dynamics. Her storylines often centered on romantic entanglements with older men, leading to pregnancies and conflicts that highlighted her impulsive nature and quest for independence. Cricket formed a competitive friendship with Betsy Stewart, played by , amid various "man troubles" in the fictional town of Oakdale, integrating her into the show's extended Montgomery family alongside characters like and later . This role marked Loring's successful transition into adult performance, leveraging her early television experience to handle the demands of ongoing serialized narratives.

Film roles

Lisa Loring's appearances were sparse, primarily consisting of roles in low-budget and productions during periods of career transition. In 1987, she starred as , a bitter character entangled in a group of friends targeted by a killer, in the Blood Frenzy, a release noted for its exploitative elements and poor production values. That same year, Loring appeared as Roxey, a involved in a romantic subplot amid criminal underworld violence, in Savage Harbor (also known as Death Feud), an action-thriller with slasher undertones that earned a reputation as a schlocky B-movie with uneven pacing and acting. In 1988, she took on the role of Jeanette in Iced, a slasher where her character is part of a group of old friends hunted by a masked killer; the film, which included that drew backlash from fans of her child-star persona, was criticized for formulaic plotting and low-budget effects but gained minor cult status among horror enthusiasts. These 1980s roles occurred during a lull in Loring's acting career following her television work, reflecting opportunities in the burgeoning market for B-grade rather than . After a long hiatus, Loring returned briefly in the with smaller parts, including Vera in the 2013 independent comedy Way Down in Chinatown, about a couple navigating apocalyptic events while producing a play, and Miss Rhonda in the 2015 horror-comedy Doctor Spine, marking her final on-screen appearances before retiring around that period.

Personal life

Marriages and family

Loring's first marriage occurred in 1973 to Farrell Foumberg, her , when she was just years old. The union produced her first daughter, Vanessa Foumberg, born in 1974, but ended in divorce the following year. In 1981, Loring married actor Doug Stevenson, known for his role on the soap opera . Their marriage lasted until 1983 and resulted in the birth of her second daughter, Marianne Stevenson, in 1984. Loring's third marriage was to adult film actor in 1987. The couple divorced in 1992 after five years together, with no children from the union. Her fourth and longest marriage began in 2003 with Graham Rich, though the couple had separated by 2008 and finalized their divorce in 2014. In her later years, Loring was known as a devoted mother to Vanessa and , as well as a loving grandmother to her grandchildren, Emiliana and , prioritizing family amid her personal challenges.

Struggles with

In the early , as her acting career slowed amid personal stressors including multiple divorces, Lisa Loring developed a severe to and other substances. The worsened dramatically in 1991 when Loring discovered the body of her close friend and actress Kelly Van Dyke, who had died by ; this traumatic event, combined with the breakdown of her to adult actor Jerry Butler—whom she met while working as a on an adult set—pushed her into deeper . That same year, amid escalating dependency, Loring attempted , highlighting the profound toll of her struggles. Loring entered in 1992 and achieved sobriety, marking a turning point in her recovery efforts. However, the period of derailed her professional momentum, leading to fewer roles as she focused on personal healing and family, though she made occasional appearances in films into the 2010s, such as Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes (2004) and Doctor Spine (2015).

Death

Lisa Loring died on January 28, 2023, at the age of 64, from complications of a caused by . She had suffered the stroke a week earlier and passed away at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in . Loring was surrounded by her family at the time of her death, including her daughters and Vanessa, who held her hands, as well as her grandchildren. Her daughter Vanessa Foumberg stated, "She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands." Following her death, Loring received numerous public tributes that emphasized her iconic portrayal of in the 1960s television series , particularly in light of the character's renewed popularity from the 2022 series . Friend and entertainment archivist Laurie Jacobson remarked, "She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always [as Wednesday Addams]." Actress , who played Wednesday in the 1990s films, shared a broken-heart emoji on in tribute. Loring was cremated, with her ashes given to family or friends; no public memorial services were reported.

References

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