Everyone from the 1990s remembers the unique and creepy cast of The Addams Family! Wikipedia describes the family as a “satirical inversion of the ideal 20th-century American family: an odd wealthy aristocratic clan who delight in the macabre and are seemingly unaware, or do not care, that other people find them bizarre or frightening.”
The first evolution of the family came in 1964 as a television series on ABC. From then on, the characters would make animated appearances in shows like Scooby-Doo in the 1970s. It has also had several spinoffs, including Halloween with the New Addams Family in 1977 and The New Addams Family in 1998.
Vic Mizzy’s popular theme song for “The Addams Family” caught on with viewers and made monster stars out of its monstrous cast.
They’re creepy, and they’re kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re all together ooky,
The Addams Family.
Dying a quick death after only two seasons, the cast moved on with their careers, some with continued progress, and others, not so much, but none could ever leave their “Family” ties with the show.
Let’s discuss what the actors who lived life into the practically dead characters of Morticia, Gomez, Fester, Grandmama, Lurch, Pugsley, Wednesday are doing now.
Carolyn Jones – Morticia Addams
Academy Award-winning actress Carolyn Jones had a successful film career, working with Hitchcock to Elvis to Sinatra.
Morticia chose to be Mrs. Addams long black dress twice more in the ’70s, but she went on to add over 30 more roles to her profile after the show ended.
Memorable ones included Marsha, Queen of Diamonds for five episodes of “Batman,” playing Chuck Connors’ wife on “Roots,” and Queen Hippolyta on “Wonder Woman.” While fighting with colon cancer, she pressed on working in her final role — another powerful mother, Myrna Clegg, on the soap opera “Capitol.” She died of cancer in 1983, at age 50.
John Astin — Gomez Addams
An earlier concept of “The Addams Family” that was being brought to networks centered around the adventures of the butler, titled “Lurch,” with John Astin penciled in for the lead role.
He refused the opportunity and finally signed on instead as the energetic and eccentric cigar-chomping Addams patriarch Gomez. Astin said “Gomez is really an extension of my own personality … the closest thing to who I am, really.”
He has never abandoned his “Family” far behind, going Gomez for a 1977 Halloween special, an early ’90s cartoon series, and then voicing Grandpapa in the animated “The New Addams Family.” A proud graduate of Johns Hopkins, he returned to the university to help build up their theater program.
Jackie Coogan — Uncle Fester
Jackie Coogan’s star burned bright in the 1920s, being named “the greatest boy actor in the world,” starring alongside Charles Chaplin in “The Kid,” and even having chocolate bars shaped like his head sold in stores.
Four decades later, “The Addams Family” allowed his star to shine again, playing the nutty, pale-skinned lightbulb lighting Uncle Fester. But earlier, after his first audition, Jackie was declined for the part of Uncle Fester.
However, he needed it so badly that he went home, shaved his head, did his Uncle Fester’s makeup and costuming, and returned. He nailed it and got the part, as we all know.
He died of a cardiac arrest in 1984 at age 69.
Ted Cassidy — Lurch / Thing
The character of Lurch is well recognized for his tall stature at 6 feet 9 and deep bass voice. People are interested to know who played the Character Lurch in The Addams Family.
Ted Cassidy was the one who, because of his unique appearance, made the character of Lurch memorable. Aside from his role as Lurch on The Addams Family, he would also narrate The Incredible Hulk TV series.
Cassidy’s big break was The Addams’ Family Role. Or Roles. Because Ted’s hand portrayed Thing as well. Though the character of Lurch was intended to be mute when Cassidy ad-libbed “You rang?” The subtle humor and sultry deepness to his voice was instantly a hit, and the character was expanded.
His voice was his golden ticket, and he voiced many cartoons, including 1976’s Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, Captain Caveman, and the Teen Angels.
If you remember Captain Caveman, you should check out along with 9 others in our Cheesiest Cartoons from the 70s list!
His height allowed him notable guest roles, like in 1976 when he portrayed Bigfoot in a two-parter for The Six Million Dollar Man! He sadly passed away in 1979 from complications following a non-malignant tumor removal from his heart.
Marie Blake – Grandmama
Grandmama is none other than Marie Blake. Born Edith Marie Blossom MacDonald in 1845, she would choose the stage name Marie Blake.
In 1937, her first uncredited role was in the film My Dear Miss Aldrich. Of course, her most significant role would end up being that of Grandmama in The Addams Family. Marie suffered a stroke in 1966, which would restrict her from participating in following Addams Family spin offs. She passed away in 1978.
Lisa Loring – Wednesday Addams
The now 61-year-old actress Lisa Loring performed the role of Wednesday Addams. Following the success of The Addams Family, Loring would appear in some slasher films as well, including Blood Frenzy (1987) and Iced (1988).
Loring became addicted to heroin in 1991 and would complete addiction treatment the following year.
She would return to acting in 2011 but has only had some sporadic roles in 2014 and 2015. Today in her early 60s, she’s out of the limelight, and we wish her the best.
Ken Weatherwax – Pugsley Addams
Pugsley Addams is nearly invisible and follows some conventional standards of society, like joining the Boy Scouts! Weatherwax comes from an acting family, his aunt being an actress and dancer Ruby Keeler.
And his half-brother, Joey Vieira, played “Porky” on the first three seasons of Lassie.
But Ken didn’t do much beyond his Pugsley. Early on, he appeared with Alice Pearce in Gleem toothpaste commercials. But after he became typecast as Pugsley, he decided to depart the acting biz.
The only credits he’d return for were the 1973 cartoon and the 1977 television reunion movie.
At the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and afterward found a movie studio grip and set builder career.
He and Loring would often reunite for conventions and other events, and the two remained lifelong friends until he died in 2014 of a heart attack. He was only 59 years old.
The Thing
The concept behind Thing T. Thing’s bodiless hand was that this creature was just too horrible-looking to view in person! Christopher Hart would play the role of The Thing for feature films.
Felix Silla – Cousin Itt
Cousin Itt is a hirsute made up of floor-length hair, almost as weird as The Thing! A bowler hat and sunglasses often accompany his appearance to give off the illusion that there is a face underneath all that hair.
Felix Silla would play the role of Cousin Itt for the 1964 series, followed by several other actors in the spinoffs. However, the distinct voice of Cousin Itt would range from several different voice actors.
The most recent depiction of Cousin Itt’s voice is that of Snoop Dogg in the 2019 animated film.
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