NBC
Broadway actress Laurel Griggs suffered an asthma attack just before she died last week at age 13, her grandfather says.
David Rivlin revealed the news on Facebook.
“It’s with heavy heart that I have to share some very sad news. My beautiful and talented granddaughter, Laurel Griggs, has passed away suddenly from a massive asthma attack,” he wrote. “Mount Sinai was valiant in trying to save her but now she’s with the angels.”
“The world lost a real princess who only wanted to make the future happy for all,” he said. “Acting was just a childhood dream come true and she had big plans for the future.”
Laurel died on November 5. The teen was laid to rest at a funeral in New York on Friday and her family has planned a remembrance service to celebrate her life for Sunday.
Laurel made her Broadway debut in 2012 at age 6, playing Ivanka in the musical Once alongside actor Steve Kazee. She performed the role until 2015, the longest time an actress has played the part. She also played Polly in the Tennesee Williams play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Broadway in 2013 alongside Scarlett Johansson.
Laurel also did some onscreen acting work. She starred in commercials and provided the voice of several characters on the popular Nickelodeon children’s animated series Bubble Guppies. She also starred in the 2016 movie Café Society with Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart and had a couple of uncredited parts on Saturday Night Live in 2017.
Lucas Papaelias, another one of Laurel’s Once co-stars, paid tribute to the teen on Instagram on Sunday.
“My @oncemusical family tragically lost one of our youngest members this past week,” he wrote. “We are all heartbroken & devastated. Sending love and my deepest condolences to the family of @laurelgriggs_ who played the role of Ivanka on Broadway. we will never forget this sweet, talented young soul.”
