Creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky. They’re All together ooky. They’re the Addam’s Family.
Based on characters found in the cartoons of Charles Addams, David Levy created the 1960s Addams Family television series in 1964. The oddball family first hit the big screen in 1991 and followed that installment up with the successful sequel film Addams Family Values in 1993. Both films were a hit with audiences and featured a stellar cast of A-listers like Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christopher Lloyd.
Complete with eye-popping visuals and witty one-liners, the films offered a fresh modern spin on America’s most beloved macabre fictional household. Critics and audiences alike were into it. It’s not like they were the best films ever, but they certainly hold their own to this day
Ever wonder what the cast members of the Addams Family films are up to these days? Well too bad if you haven’t because we’re going to catch you up to speed anyway.
Anjelica Huston – Morticia Addams
She might have been a frigid character to play, but Anjelica Huston drew upon her model friend Jerry Hall as inspiration to bring a warm and delicate disposition to her character. Since Addams Family Reunion, Huston has starred in films like Ever After, Daddy Day Care, and a whole slew of Wes Anderson Films like The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Huston has also taken her talents to the television screen for shows like Medium, Transparent, and Smash.
Raul Julia – Gomez Addams
Raul brought swag and charisma to Gomez Addams. The ever-passionate Puerto Rican actor gave the patriarch of the Addams Family his very own personal touch like no one else could. He was already an internationally celebrated actor before he joined the cast of the Addams Family films. He received a Tony nod for acting in the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona and earned himself a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in 1982s The Tempest and 1985s Kiss of the Spider Woman.
In 1994, shortly after filming commenced for the made-for-tv film The Burning Season, Raul suffered a major stroke that brought about his sudden death. It was a devastating blow for Addams Family fans and a major reason why the third film in the series, Addams Family Reunion, failed to capture the magic of the first two. For his work on the Burning Season, Raul posthumously received a Golden Globe and Emmy Award.
Christopher Lloyd – Uncle Fester
Great Scott! It’s nearly impossible to bring up Lloyd’s name without mentioning the Back to the Future films in which he played the very eccentric Dr. Emmett Brown – aka Doc.
Even though he was substantially taller and slimmer than the Uncle Fester from the 1964 television series, that didn’t stop Lloyd from portraying the stout, dark-eyed brother of Gomez. Lloyd had been a huge fan of Charles Adamms’ comic series since he was a child, so when he got the opportunity to portray one of his favorite characters he couldn’t pass it up.
To step into his role, he borrowed a fat suit from the prop department of The Godfather Part II. The costume certainly made it look like Lloyd had actually put on the weight for his part, although he had to constantly bend his legs to appear less tall.
After appearing in the Addam’s Family films, he went on to appear in Road to Avonlea – which landed him an Emmy – and the children’s series Cyberchase. In recent years, Lloyd has had a thriving career doing voiceovers for cartoons and video games, he guest-stars in several TV shows every year, and still appears on the big screen from time to time. His upcoming movies Nobody and Welcome to Pine Grove sets for a 2021 release.
He and William Shatner co-star in an upcoming film called Senior Moments which is in post-production. No word yet when that film might premiere.
Christina Ricci – Wednesday Addams
Sure, the original Wednesday was dark but she was also sweet, eccentric, and rather endearing. That being said, Christina Ricci brought an entirely different spin to the character. Her Wednesday was dry, precocious, and somewhat psychotic. She was just ten years old when she played the ghastly offspring of Gomez and Morticia. Both critics and audiences alike embraced her performance and unique interpretation of the iconic character.
After starring in the Addams Family flicks, Ricci when on to star in other morbid films like Casper in 1995 and Sleepy Hollow in 1999. She then = successfully broke away from her typecasting and went on to star in critically acclaimed films like Monster in 2003 and Black Snake Moan in 2006.
Even though she still appears in the occasional film, she has shifted her focus over to television in recent years. She gets notable roles in shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, Z: The Beginning of Everything, and 50 States of Fright. She will be starring in the lead role in the upcoming survival drama series Yellowjackets which schedule to debut on Showtime in 2021.
Jimmy Workman – Pugsley Addams
Being the son of Morticia and Gomez, Pugsley envisions to be just as crafty as his sister Wednesday. When they weren’t trying to slaughter each other, they took the time to team up to do fun things like serving poisonous lemonade to random passersby.
Workman discovers this when his older sister Shanelle Workman was auditioning for the part of Wednesday. Although he isn’t there to try out for the role, he receives an opportunity to audition anyway and the casting directors fell in love with him.
After the Addams Family films, Workman had a few minor roles in film and TV but ultimately retired from acting to focus on behind-the-scenes production instead. It seems acting is in his genes, because not only his is older sister an actress but so is his younger sister, Ariel Winter, who plays Alex Dunphy on Modern Family.
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Judith Malina – Grandmama Addams in The Addams Family
Malina co-founded the Living Theatre, a radical political theater troupe with her husband Julian Beck in the 1950s. Her character in The Addams Family was originally conceived as having a deviously dark sense of humor coupled with a diabolically enthusiastic interest in all things occult and esoteric. Malian portrayed that role rather adeptly in The Addams Family.
After spending most of her life on stage with her experimental theater company she started acting in films and television shows like Dog Day Afternoon in 1975, Awakening in 1990, and The Sopranos in 2006.
Her last film role was in 2010 in Mark Steven Johnson’s romantic comedy When In Rome. Sadly, Malina passed away in 2015.
Carol Kane – Grandmama Addams in Addams Family Values
Even though she’s in fact a year younger than her co-star Anjelica Huston, who played her fictional daughter Morticia, Carol Kane was an apt replacement for Judith Malina in Addams Family Values. Carol definitely gives the role her own unique spin and her gruff voice and large sleepy eyes definitely stand out.
She was already well accustomed to playing goofball characters in comedy films before signing on to the role. She had previously performed in films like Hester Street in 1975, Annie Hall in 1977, and The Princess Bride in 1987.
On TV she played Andy Kaufmann’s character’s wife, Latka, on Taxi – a role that earned her two Emmy’s – and most recently she has portrayed the offbeat character Lillian Kaushtupper on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She also appears in Amazon Primes drama series Hunters which was just renewed for a second season.
Carel Struycken – Lurch
Measuring in at 7 ft tall, Struycken is hard to miss. He was discovered in 1978 while standing at the corner of Hollywood and Vine st in Los Angeles. A casting director literally abandoned her car in the middle of the street to run after him. She needed him for a role in the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie.
In addition to starring in films, he has appeared on shows like Twin Peaks, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Twin Peaks: The Return.
Struycken’s distinctive physical features and height are the result of a genetic disorder called Acromegaly which is caused by the pituitary gland producing an excess of growth hormone after the growth plates have already closed.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Struycken is actual a gentle giant. He’s a vegetarian and loves to garden. He’s also an avid photographer and maintains a website that features his spherical panoramic shots.
John Franklin – Cousin It
Unlike his towering co-star Carel Struycken, Franklin had a growth hormone deficiency as a child which resulted in him having a height of just barely 5 feet.
When he first showed up to LA in 1983 to pursue a career in acting, he first appeared in a number of commercials before landing the role of Issac in Stephen’s King’s Children of the Corn – his first big break. In 1988 he played Chucky in the shots where the demonic doll could be seen walking around in the film Child’s Play.
After doing the Addam’s Family movies he reprised his role of Isaac in the Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Return.
After 9/11 Franklin decided to rethink his career and life path and became an English teacher at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, California. In 2016, he left his teaching job and made a return to Hollywood to try his hand once again at acting. Since then he has appeared on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and in the 2018 comedy horror film Hell’s Kitty.
Undeniable Chemistry
Well, here we are yet again at the end of another facts-packed video. Honestly, It’s pretty fascinating to see where the Addam’s Family cast is these days.
Really though, what made the Addams Family movies was the cast. They had an undeniable chemistry that was downright electrifying. That’s probably why the 2019 animated Addams Family reboot failed to wow critics. It just didn’t have the same magic as its predecessors.
Anyways, we’d love to hear from you. My personal favorite character is Wednesday, probably because I’m dead inside, but who’s your favorite? Gomez, Morticia, Cousin It? Let us know in the comments section below.
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