The last week of January was full of unfortunate celebrity deaths. Most notably, actresses Cindy Williams, Lisa Loring, and Annie Wersching all passed away in the span of 4 days.Each of these influential women left behind a legacy and will be remembered for their work in the film and TV industry.
Cindy Williams
Williams passed away on January 25, 2023, at 75 years old from a “brief illness” according to her family spokesperson.
She began her acting career after college by starring in several commercials and landing large roles early on. In 1975, Williams got the role of Shirley Feeney alongside Penny Marshall who played Laverne DeFazio on Happy Days. This led to the popular television show Laverne and Shirley, which ran from 1976-1982. It followed Laverne and Shirley, two roommates, who worked in a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s as bottle cappers.Shirley with her bubbly and optimistic character, and Laverne with her outspokenness and thick skin, served as the antithesis of each other. After the show ended, Williams went on to star in movies such as More American Graffiti, TV shows such as Normal Life, and theater productions such as Grease.
Williams married Bill Hudson in 1982, and they were divorced in 2000. She is survived by her children Emily and Zak Hudson, who shared this statement via their family spokesperson:
“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed. Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous, and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”
Lisa Loring
Loring passed away on January 28, 2023, at 64 due to complications from a stroke, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Loring’s acting career began at the age of 3 when she starred in an episode of Dr. Kildare. She is best known for her role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, which aired from 1964-1966. She later went on to star in the soap opera As the World Turns, and horror films like Iced.
Wednesday, the pale, vengeful, and compelling character has always been a fan favorite. It has since been portrayed by Christina Ricci in 1991 and 1993 in The Addams Family and The Addams Family Values. More recently, Jenna Ortega reprised the role in Wednesday which became one of Netflix’s most popular shows of all time. Ortega shared a post of young Loring on Instagram with the caption “Absolutely devastated. Thank you for everything.”
Loring was married four times, being only 15 when she married her first husband Farrell Foumberg and had her daughter Vanessa Loring, and was divorced a year later. She also married Doug Stevenson (m. 1981-83) and had her second daughter Marianne Loring. She went on to marry Jerry Butler (m. 1987-92), and Graham Rich (m. 2003-08).
Many of Loring’s friends and family released statements about their grief. Butch Patrick, who played Eddie Munster shared kind words about Loring, stating “The more we worked together, the closer we got and the deeper the friendship bond became.” Her daughter Marianne also stated, “She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands.”
Annie Wersching
Wersching died January 29, 2023, at 45 due to complications with cancer.She was diagnosed in 2020, according to her publicist.
Her acting career consists of major roles, including those in Star Trek: Enterprise, Supernatural, General Hospital, CSI, Castle, The Vampire Diaries, and Blue Bloods. She is also well known for her role in the video game The Last of Us, in which she did the voice and motion capture for the character Tess. The Last of Us has been getting buzz again recently, as HBO has adapted it into a show. Neil Druckmann, the creator of the video game shared a post on Twitter saying, “We just lost a beautiful artist and human being. My heart is shattered.”
Her The Vampire Diaries co-stars also shared messages about Wersching. Paul Wesley, who played her son, wrote on Instagram, “I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Annie Wersching. She was a wonderful and talented person I was lucky enough to know.”
Wersching is survived by her husband Stephen Full (m. 2009), and their three children, Freddie, Ozzie, and Archie Full. Her husband shared a statement saying, “There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for the adventure to find you.”
Katlynn Wheatley
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