Lisa Spoonauer

{{More citations needed|date=May 2017}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Lisa Ann Spoonauer | image = Lisa-spoonauer-dead-ftr_resize.jpg | alt =  | caption = Spoonauer in ''Clerks'' (1994) | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{Birth date|1972|12|16}} | birth_place = Rahway, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2017|05|20|1972|12|16}} | death_place = Jackson Township, New Jersey, U.S. | other_names = | occupation = {{hlist|Actress|restaurant manager|event planner}} | years_active = 1994–2001 | known_for = ''Clerks'' | notable_works = | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Jeff Anderson|1998|1999|end=divorced}} * Tom Caron (2007–2017; her death) }} | children = 1 }}

'''Lisa Ann Spoonauer'''{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}} (December 16, 1972 – May 20, 2017)<ref>{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Wickline|url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/05/23/clerks-actress-lisa-spoonauer-passes-away-age-44/|title=Clerks Actress Lisa Spoonauer Passes Away At Age 44|website=Bleeding Cool|publisher=Avatar Press|location=Rantoul, Illinois|date=May 23, 2017|accessdate=July 19, 2018}}</ref> was an American character actress best known for the role of Caitlin Bree in ''Clerks'', which she reprised for an episode of ''Clerks: The Animated Series''.

==Biography== Spoonauer was born in Rahway, New Jersey, and raised in Freehold Township.<ref name="Obit">[http://www.hasslerfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/2939274/Spoonauer-Lisa-/obituary.php Obituary], hasslerfuneralhome.com; accessed May 23, 2017.</ref> She attended Brookdale Community College, where she was spotted (in an acting class) by ''Clerks'' director Kevin Smith, who was having difficulty casting the part of Caitlin. He offered her the role and a script, and she later accepted.<ref name="Spoonauer">{{cite magazine|first=Maureen|last=Lee|url=http://ew.com/movies/2017/05/23/lisa-spoonauer-dead-clerks-actres-dies-44|title=''Clerks'' actress Lisa Spoonauer dies at 44|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Meredith Corporation|location=New York City|date=May 23, 2017|accessdate=May 23, 2017|archive-date=May 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524035145/http://ew.com/movies/2017/05/23/lisa-spoonauer-dead-clerks-actres-dies-44/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Spoonauer's only other film credit is for the Gabe Torres' film ''Bartender''.

==Personal life== Spoonauer began dating her ''Clerks'' co-star Jeff Anderson in 1993, and they were married for one year from 1998 to 1999.<ref name="smod">{{cite web|url=http://smodcast.com/episodes/clerk|title=SMODCAST #134|accessdate=November 18, 2012|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127205540/http://smodcast.com/episodes/clerk|archivedate=November 27, 2010}}</ref> According to the documentary ''Snowball Effect: The Story of Clerks'', Anderson proposed to Spoonauer on the set of ''Clerks''.

Spoonauer married Tom Caron in 2007<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1174830366:61253 | title=Join Ancestry® | website=Ancestry.com }}</ref> and relocated to Jackson Township, New Jersey, where she became a restaurant manager and event planner.<ref name="Obit" /><ref name="Spoonauer" /> Spoonauer had one daughter, Mia, with Caron and a stepson, Tyler, from Caron's previous marriage.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/starledger/name/lisa-spoonauer-obituary?id=16102186|title= LISA ANN SPOONAUER|date=24 May 2017|publisher=The Star-Ledger (NJ.com)|access-date=22 February 2026}}</ref>

==Death== Spoonauer died at age 44 on May 20, 2017, of an accidental overdose of hydromorphone. It was also revealed that she was fighting cancer, anemia, lung disease and immune deficiency, which were all factors in her death.<ref name="nj.com">{{cite web|first=Amy|last=Kuperinsky|url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/05/clerks_actress_died_after_long-term_chronic_illnes.html|title='Clerks' actress Lisa Spoonauer died after suffering from chronic illnesses, report says|website=nj.com|date=May 25, 2017|accessdate=July 19, 2018}}</ref>

Her brother Mike, on a fundraising page for Patient Advocate Foundation Inc., related that she had been long suffering from a chronic illness. Spoonauer had travelled to the Mayo Clinic in 2014 for treatment; a Facebook post from that time revealed that she had already been seeing "countless other specialists over the last 7 years".<ref>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Miller|title=Clerks Actress Lisa Spoonauer Died a 'Natural Death' at 44 After Battling Degenerative Disease|url=http://people.com/movies/clerks-actress-lisa-spoonauer-natural-death/|magazine=People|publisher=Meredith Corporation|location=New York City|date=May 24, 2017|accessdate=July 19, 2018}}</ref><ref name="miller">{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Miller|title=Clerks Actress Lisa Spoonauer Dies At Age 44|url=http://people.com/movies/clerks-actress-lisa-spoonauer-passes-away-at-age-44|work=People |publisher=Meredith Corporation|location=New York City|date=May 23, 2017|accessdate=May 24, 2017}}</ref>

''Clerks'' co-stars Brian O'Halloran and Marilyn Ghigliotti both shared the news and posted tributes to their personal Facebook accounts on May 23, 2017.<ref name="miller"/>

Kevin Smith posted a tribute to Spoonauer via his personal Instagram account and during an episode of his podcast ''Hollywood Babble-On''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kevin Smith Pays Tribute to Clerks Actress Lisa Spoonauer|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiz-iIqqwYI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/Jiz-iIqqwYI |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live|website=Youtube.com|date=June 2, 2017|accessdate=June 5, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Kevin|last=Smith|authorlink=Kevin Smith|title=Untitled Instagram Post|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BUczf9OA9gT/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BUczf9OA9gT |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |url-access=registration|date=May 23, 2017|accessdate=June 5, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''Clerks III'', released in 2022, is dedicated to Spoonauer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kuperinsky |first1=Amy |title='Clerks III' is here: Kevin Smith on his N.J. homecoming and why it's his best movie yet |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2022/09/clerks-iii-is-here-kevin-smith-on-his-nj-homecoming-and-why-its-his-best-movie-yet.html |website=NJ.com |date=September 2, 2022 |access-date=September 15, 2022}}</ref>

==Filmography== *''Clerks'' (1994) as Caitlin Bree *''Bartender'' (1997) *''Clerks: The Animated Series'' (2002) *''Shooting Clerks'' (2016) (special thanks)

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0819412}} * {{tcmdb name|id=1434190|name=Lisa Spoonauer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spoonauer, Lisa}} Category:1972 births Category:2017 deaths Category:American film actresses Category:American voice actresses Category:Actresses from Union County, New Jersey Category:People from Rahway, New Jersey Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Drug-related deaths in New Jersey Category:Accidental deaths in New Jersey Category:Brookdale Community College alumni