The explosion of Tim Burton‘s Wednesday has seen merch and adverts for the spooky spin-off everywhere from Primark to buses and trains.
But while this generation’s viewers may associate the legendary Addams Family character with 22-year-old Jenna Ortega, decades ago the role was originated by the exceptionally pouty gothic child star Lisa Loring.
Born in 1958, the now late artist burst onto the scene with a broody gaze, neatly put together braids and a buttoned-up frock – as she delighted audiences with her perfectly deadpan delivery which cements her performance with cult-status to this day.
However, after gaining recognition for the macabre lead, Lisa’s life in the spotlight endured a myriad of struggles, including drug addiction and four marriages – one of which was to an ex-porn star.
The actress was born in February 1958, in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.
Aged three, she was already working as a child model before venturing into the world of cinema.
It included a features on medical drama Dr. Kildare, The Pruitts of Southampton, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Fantasy Island, and Barnaby Jones.
Most famous, undoubtedly, was her stint on The Addams Family at five years old, which has maintained a cultural legacy to this day.
But while this generation’s viewers may associate the legendary Addams Family character with 22-year-old Jenna Ortega , decades ago the role was originated by the exceptionally pouty gothic child star Lisa Loring (pictured)
Born in 1958, the now late artist burst onto the scene with a broody gaze, neatly put together braids and a buttoned-up frock – as she delighted audiences with her perfectly deadpan delivery which cements her performance with cult-status to this day. Pictured in 1983
However, after gaining recognition for the macabre lead, Lisa’s life in the spotlight endured a myriad of struggles, including drug addiction and four marriages – one of which was to an ex-porn star. Pictured with her ex Jerry Butler in 1992
The 1966 sitcom, an adaptation of the New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams, saw the show’s daughter swiftly become a fan favourite albeit the creator struggled with bringing her to life.
Speaking to the outlet in 2018, Charles’s friend, poet Joan Blake, revealed: ‘He told me that the Addams Family was being made into a television show, and that he had no name for the little girl.
‘I said, “Wednesday – Wednesday’s child is full of woe.” And Wednesday became her name.’
Lisa had nothing but good things to say about her time on set, and was able to quickly pick up the trade.
‘I learned to memorise before I could read,’ she once said, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.
According to the outlet, she also firmly believed the Addams Family was much more ‘sophisticated’ and ‘like the Marx Brothers’, as compared to their rivals, The Munsters, ‘which was more slapstick, like The Three Stooges’.
‘John Astin [who played Gomez Addams] said, “Who told you you that? How would you know that?,”‘ she recalled.
‘It was like a real family – you couldn’t have picked a better cast and crew,’ she also shared in a 2017 YouTube interview conducted at the Monsterpalooza convention. ‘Carolyn Jones, John Astin – Gomez and Morticia – were like parents to me. They were great.’
Most famous, undoubtedly, was her stint on The Addams Family at five years old, which has maintained a cultural legacy to this day
Other actresses have since taken on the helm to play the role of Wednesday, including Christina Ricci (left) and Jenna Ortega (right)
Lisa’s later roles included a reunion with her TV family as Wednesday Sr. in the made-for-TV film, Halloween With The New Addams Family.
However, her personal life soon started to overshadow her career after she got married to her childhood sweetheart, Farrell Foumberg in 1973, aged just 15.
The couple had a child the following year, but soon got divorced in the months that followed.
This led to a turbulent period for the star who was unable to turn to family for help. Her mother, who was an alcoholic, developed complications due to her addiction and died in 1974.
Lisa made a TV comeback at 22 as the ‘troubled teen’ Cricket Montgomery on As The World Turns from 1980 to 1983, but she was unable to land lucrative roles in the years that followed.
After her second marriage to actor Doug Stevenson failed – producing a second child – and she continued to be unhappy with the direction her career was taking, Lisa made a move working as a make-up artist on adult films.
During this time, she was also exposed to drugs which played a hand in ending her third marriage to Paul Siederman – also an adult star – who went by Jerry Butler.
He had made more than 600 films and even penned a tell-all on the industry, titled Raw Talent.
Lisa’s later roles included a reunion with her TV family as Wednesday Sr. in the made-for-TV film, Halloween With The New Addams Family. Pictured, a poster for the 1966 sitcom
Later, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Lisa (pictured in 2016) admitted the marriage to Jerry was ‘the biggest mistake of her life’
The couple’s marriage became troubled after Lisa wanted him to give up his pornography career following their marriage – however it is understood that he was continuing to take part in shoots behind her back.
The pair appeared on talk show Geraldo in 1992, where they discussed challenges in their love life – as an audience member questioned what made Lisa go back to Jerry after an initial split.
‘A lot of begging,’ she revealed. ‘A lot of “I’ll never do it again, please forgive me”… Love. Trying again. Do we give up so easily? Are we all human, don’t we all make mistakes? Some worse than others?’
Jerry also added: ‘Doing these films, I was breezing, I was making films and I had a drug problem… that was my aphrodisiac to go home after I made a movie because I think psychologically I wanted to be alone and be private with just one person before I met Lisa.
‘Until I met this woman – she gave me breath, she gave me life – I sometimes was very stupid.
‘I didn’t realise what I had – and I’ll never leave this woman even if she leaves me… She adds society to me where there’s a menagerie.’
Speaking to NBC’s Dateline, Jerry has also admitted he was ‘addicted to the lifestyle’.
When they divorced in 1992, the actress was prompted to enter a drug rehab program for heroin abuse after she found a friend who had committed suicide.
Some of Lisa’s notable roles included Roxey in the 1988 action-drama film Death Feud and Vera in the 2014 comedy-horror, science-fiction movie, Way Down In Chinatown
After she became sober, Lisa also got a job at an interior design company in Santa Monica. Pictured in 2002
Later, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Lisa admitted the marriage to Jerry was ‘the biggest mistake of her life’.
‘I would not be involved with someone who did that,’ she explained. ‘He was going behind my back and lying to me: that was it.’
After that, she continued pursuing a Hollywood career, landing a handful of smaller roles.
Some of Lisa’s notable roles included Roxey in the 1988 action-drama film Death Feud and Vera in the 2014 comedy-horror, science-fiction movie, Way Down In Chinatown.
After she became sober, Lisa also got a job at an interior design company in Santa Monica.
The mother-of-two remarried for the fourth time in 2003 to Graham Rich. The marriage ended in 2008, but they did not finalise the divorce until 2014.
In recent years, Lisa took time to celebrate the show on social media and wished her ‘TV dad’ John Astin a happy birthday message on Twitter in 2016 when she posted a GIF of him exchanging a knowing smile with co-star Carolyn Jones.
In 2023, her friend Laure Jacobson announced that the actress had sadly passed away at the age of 64 after being taken off life support.
‘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 wrote.
‘She had been on life support for 3 days. Yesterday, her family made the difficult decision to remove it and she passed last night.’
Paying tribute to her friend’s work, Laure 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 humor, affection and love will long play in our memories. RIP, Lisa. Damn, girl… you were a ton of fun.’
Lisa is survived by her two daughters, Marianne and Vanessa, and her grandchildren, Emiliana and Charles.
Her daughter, Vanessa Foumberg, confirmed her mother’s death to Variety, saying: ‘She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands.’
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