Laurel Griggs, Rising Broadway Star, Passes Away at Age 13

On Tuesday, the rising Broadway star Laurel Griggs died at just age 13.

The cause of death was a “massive asthma attack,” her family told Page Six.

Griggs was just six years old when she landed her breakthrough role, starring opposite Scarlett Johansson in the Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2013.

That same year, Griggs also landed the role of Ivanka in the Tony Award-winning musical Once—one she played longer than any other actor, for a total of 17 months. In between doing so, she was also a full-time student.

After establishing herself on Broadway, Griggs pivoted to film in 2016, starring in Café Society alongside Jesse Eisenberg, Steve Carell, and Kristen Stewart. For the most part, though, she stuck to TV, starting with the series Bubble Guppies in 2015.

Her former costar Kayla Erickson was one of the first to post a tribute to Griggs on social media, writing, “I will make sure to keep working hard on our craft, And I will never let people forget you.” (More recently, Griggs also made several appearances on Saturday Night Live with SZA and Pink.)

The cast of Once has also posted an outpouring of tributes to Griggs on Instagram. “Everybody in the Once Family is going to keep you alive through us,” wrote McKayla Twiggs, who also played the role of Ivanka.