Laurel Griggs, Broadway and ‘SNL’ Actress, Dies at 13

[BluBonnet]

This is incredibly heart-breaking

Laurel Griggs, Broadway and ‘SNL’ Actress, Dies at 13

Erin Nyren

Nov 8, 2019 at 8:02am PST

Laurel Griggs, who starred in Broadway’s “ONCE the Musical” as Ivanka, has died. She was 13.

An obituary posted to Dignity Memorial indicates she died on Nov. 5, and Griggs’ grandfather wrote on Facebook that her death was due to a massive asthma attack.

Griggs made her Broadway debut when she was six years old in the 2013 production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” alongside Scarlett Johansson. She starred as Ivanka in “ONCE” for 17 months, making her the longest-running actress to play the role. She also had parts in “Cafe Society” in 2016 and in the TV series “Louie” and “Bubble Guppies,” in addition to appearing twice on “Saturday Night Live” in 2017, for James Franco and Kumail Nanjiani’s episodes.

Eliza Holland Madore, who also played Ivanka in “ONCE,” paid tribute to Griggs on Instagram.

“I am deeply saddened by the sudden loss of one of my Ivanka sisters,” the post reads. “Laurel- you were always smiling and always made other people laugh. I’m so incredibly grateful I got to know you. You will never be forgotten, and we will never stop loving you. Everybody in the Once Family is going to keep you alive through us. R.I.P. My heart goes out to her family.”

Donations in Griggs’ memory can be made to Broadway Cares, a nonprofit that raises money for AIDS-related causes.