What Became of the Cast of “The Addams Family”?

“The Addams Family” was a comedy about an odd and creepy family that ran on ABC from 1964 until 1966. The show was the network’s answer to “The Munsters”, which was a hit on the rival CBS network. Of the eight main characters that were featured in “The Addams Family”, four still survive. The actors that portrayed Gomez , Pugsley, and Wednesday Addams are still with us, as well as the little fellow that played the small and hairy Cousin Itt, but the people that brought Morticia Addams, Grandmama Addams, Uncle Fester, and the butler Lurch have all passed way.

John Astin is 77 now, still best known for being Gomez, the head of the spooky Addams clan. He was a math whiz at John Hopkins University, but a love of theatre pulled him away from his fondness for numbers. Astin got a small part in 1961’s “West Side Story”, and then landed the role of Gomez, a cigar smoking eccentric man who went wild when his wife spoke French. Astin worked in television and films after the series was cancelled, and his second marriage, to actress Patty Duke, produced two children, Sean Astin and MacKenzie Astin, both successful actors in their own right. Astin has toured in plays and has taught acting at John Hopkins; he lives in Baltimore with his wife Valerie.

Carolyn Jones was married to future television mogul Aaron Spelling for eleven years and is credited with pushing him to become a writer. She was an acclaimed actress, getting good reviews for her work in films such as “King Creole” with Elvis Presley and “The Bachelor Party”, for which she received an Academy Award nomination in 1957. Jones, who was a natural blonde, put on a jet-black wig that came down to her waist to play Morticia Addams when she was hired for the part. After the series ended, she remarried and became somewhat of a recluse, until she finally returned to acting full-time and grabbed guest roles in several TV shows. In 1982 she was diagnosed with colon cancer, which quickly spread and killed her the next year at the age of 54.

Jackie Coogan was acting way back in the 1920s, a child actor who appeared with Charlie Chaplin in the silent film classic “The Kid.” Coogan’s parents frittered away his earnings and he would eventually sue them when he got older, getting just a miniscule portion of what he actually had coming to him. His dilemma caused lawmakers of the day to enact child labor laws for actors to protect their rights. After serving heroically in World War II he returned to acting, getting small parts in films and TV until he became the bald-headed Uncle Fester on “The Addams Family.” Coogan was 69 when he died from a heart attack in 1984.

Ted Cassidy was six-foot-nine inches tall and he actually played basketball for one season at Stetson University, averaging 17 points per game. Cassidy worked in radio before impressing the producers of “The Addams Family”; his part was supposed to be a silent one, but when the family called for him using a huge bell, Cassidy came into the room and said in a deep voice, “You rang?” The positive reaction forced his role as Lurch to become a speaking part. Cassidy did other television work after the show’s run was over, but he died after open-heart surgery at the age of 46 in 1979.

A veteran of the stage, movies, and television, Blossom Rock, the sister of the actress/singer Jeanette MacDonald, left her mark as the fortune-telling grandmamma of “The Addams Family.” Her real name was Edith and she married Clarence Rock in 1926, working in vaudeville with him for years. Rock’s turn as Grandmama in 30 episodes of “The Addams Family” often had her interacting with the children of the family. She retired to the Motion Picture Country Home in her later years and died at 82 of natural causes in 1978.

The two children, one boy and one girl, were portrayed by Ken Weatherwax and Lisa Loring, both of whom are still alive and well. Weatherwax was Pugsley, a plump child, and he was stereotyped by the part and never could find steady acting work after the series. Ken was the nephew of Rudd Weatherwax, famous for being Lassie’s trainer. He is 52 now and has worked behind the scenes in the film industry for much of his life. Lisa Loring was the pigtailed Wednesday Addams, a ghoulish little girl. Loring had a bit better luck after the series was done, landing some guest roles and then a gig on “As the World Turns” as Cricket Montgomery for a couple of years. Now 49, Lisa works in public relations and attends Addams Family conventions to sign for fans.

The diminutive Cousin Itt was played by Felix Silla, a small in stature former circus performer from Italy who spoke little or no English when he was hired on the spot to play the part. He had no idea what he was supposed to do or that his character was completely covered with hair, often wearing only sunglasses, gloves, and a derby. His gibberish language was created by the sound people, and Silla’s Cousin Itt was one of the most beloved of the entire Addams bunch. Silla has also done stunt work in many films, often doubling for children because of his size. He is 70 years old, having been married to his wife Susan since 1965.