Lurch | Addams Family Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia "You rang?" -Lurch answering Morticia 's call. Lurch (first... or last... name is unknown) is the fictional manservant to The Addams Family created by cartoonist Charles Addams . Contents [ show ] Description Lurch is a tall, shambling, lugubrious butler who somewhat resembles Frankenstein's monster (as played by Boris Karloff) and on film has a deep, resonant voice. In his first appearance in a cartoon by Charles Addams he had a black beard, but in later incarnations he was clean-shaven. Personality Although fully capable of normal speech, Lurch sometimes communicates via simple inarticulate moans, which, much like the dialogue of Cousin Itt , his employers have no trouble understanding. In fact, the Addamses often comment that Lurch is eloquent and vivacious. Lurch helps around the house like any other butler, cleaning, repairing, helping the children on and off the school bus. Occasionally his great size and strength cause trouble. He clearly takes pride in his work and is willing to do even the most arduous task.

Lurch has a profound loyalty to his employers; in turn, the family treats Lurch like one of their own. The family summons him with an ever-present bell pull (in the form of a hangman's noose). When pulled, it produces a loud gong noise that shakes the house, to which Lurch instantly responds with the line "You rang?" When the bell is rung, Lurch appears immediately (in contrast to his slow demeanor), even if wide-angle shots reveal he was clearly nowhere in the vicinity before; on a few occasions, Lurch arrives even before the bell pull is tugged. Lurch largely shares the family's macabre standards, although he occasionally looks askance at some of their activities. He has a similar attitude toward visitors – almost a sixth sense. When a plainclothes policeman (played by George Neise) visits, Lurch pats him down and removes something from inside his suit coat: his service revolver. Lurch groans at the affront of someone other than the Addams Family bringing a weapon into the house. Neise shows Lurch his badge, and Lurch hands the gun back to him.

Lurch is Wednesday 's best friend, besides her beloved headless Marie Antoinette doll. He seems to have a paternal affection for both Wednesday and Pugsley . Although his job title is limited to butler, he seems to be a "jack of all trades" when it comes to the children, doing everything from taking them to school to making them lunch to even keeping an eye on them around the house. He is close friends with the disembodied hand, Thing . Actors In the original television series, Lurch was played by Ted Cassidy, who also voiced the character in the first animated series, as well as the episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies cartoon that preceded it. In the second animated series, Lurch was voiced by Jim Cummings. Carel Struycken played Lurch in the films. In The New Addams Family series, Lurch was portrayed by Canadian actor, John DeSantis. Backstory Much of Lurch's history, including his first name and the nature of his relationship to any other Addamses, was originally unspecified. "Lurch" was revealed during the original TV series to be a surname, as there was a " Mother Lurch " who appeared in one episode.

She addressed Lurch as "Sonny", which could either be a parental nickname or his actual first name. As for his father, he was mentioned once, and in an apparent reference to his Frankenstein-like appearance, Lurch said, smiling, "He put me together." It was stated in Addams Family Reunion that Lurch is part-Addams. This plays into his being a creation similar to Frankenstein's monster as he was made from different body parts. The only definite body part that is from an Addams is his heart. Lurch's mother appears to be a physically normal, elderly woman, although she does not see anything unusual about the Addams family or their home, with the exception of Thing . In The New Addams Family, a woman comments to Morticia about Lurch, "Where did you dig him up?", to which Morticia responds, "Funny, I can't remember which cemetery it was." Lurch is also referenced as having "two left feet." Trivia In Spanish-speaking countries, he is known as "Largo", because of his height. In Brazil, he is known as "Tropeço" (to stumble, trip over).

Lurch is often seen playing the harpsichord at virtuoso level. The actor played on a dead keyboard; Vic Mizzy , the show's musical director, played the actual tunes. 00:47 Lurch on Batman Lurch made a cameo in a 1960's Batman episode, playing the Addams family theme in the background before popping his head out after being startled by Batman. As originally conceived, Lurch was to have no lines, but in the pilot Ted Cassidy ad-libbed the line "You rang?" in his trademark deep voice, and it was so impressive it led to Lurch getting more dialogue; he ultimately had three lines in the pilot. In the films, however, Lurch was totally mute except for the occasional expressive grunt. The animated episode Girlfriendstein gives Lurch's shoe size as 27QQQQ. Gallery Add a photo to this gallery Influence On October 30, 1965, a song and dance based on Lurch, entitled "The Lurch," were introduced on the ABC music program Shindig!.

This mirrored an earlier episode of the television series, entitled "Lurch, the Teenage Idol" (which was remade in 1999 for The New Addams Family). In it, Lurch records a song on his harpsichord and becomes a pop sensation. Lurch appears in the NES game Fester's Quest. Uncle Fester can get the famous noose from Grandmama , which, when used, shakes the screen with a loud gong (just like the TV show). Lurch's picture appears, says "You rang?", and destroys all on-screen enemies. On at least two episodes of Scrubs, the Janitor (played by Neil Flynn) has been called 'Lurch' by other characters, alluding to his vague physical resemblance to the Addams Family character and certain behavioral traits they share, such as appearing out of nowhere or the jack-of-all-trades element. The Janitor character was not initially meant to have lines, except when talking to J.D., the viewpoint character. A further similarity is that the Janitor's name is never revealed. On one occasion he even responded to a summons with "You rang?" and stated that he was imitating Lurch.

Radio Talk Show host Rush Limbaugh, soon joined by other conservative pundits, used the nickname 'Lurch' to describe the 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. The Addams Family (Series) - TV Tropes The Addams Family You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share "They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family." Television series based on the ghoulish cartoons published by Charles Addams in The New Yorker magazine starting in the 1930s, produced by Filmways and broadcast on ABC from 1964 to 1966. It was one of the last network series filmed entirely in black and white, which may have been a stylistic decision given the subject matter. While not very successful in the two years of its original run, it became a cult favorite once it entered syndication, and inspired spin-offs in many media .

A deliberate inversion of the ideal American Nuclear Family , the Addamses are an obscenely wealthy clan of borderline supernatural beings with a taste for the grotesque and macabre, possessing opinions and preferences that are mirror images or inversions of more conventional attitudes. Although very visibly different from virtually everyone they meet, they still perceive themselves as a "perfectly normal family"; in fact, they seem somewhat incapable of even noticing that their lifestyle varies widely from that of their neighbors. They also invert various horror-movie tropes about evil families: despite their tastes and the apparent trappings of pain and horror amidst which they live, the Addamses are clearly NOT evil — they are compassionate and loving, friendly to all they meet, eager to help strangers in times of need, and tolerant to a fault. In fact, they are probably more so than most families! The end result is more delightfully eccentric and endearing than disturbing. The family is composed of: Gomez Alonzo Addams, the clan patriarch (John Astin). Ostensibly a lawyer, though the family's vast independent wealth eliminates any need for him to actually work; when he does, though, he takes great pride in the cases he's lost.

He also smokes cigars, has a moustache, and likes to do crazy things like blow up toy trains. Morticia Frump Addams, his wife (Carolyn Jones). Tall (but still shorter than Lurch), elegant, ivory-skinned and black-tressed , and always clad in a tight black dress . Morticia is calm reason to Gomez's maniacal exuberance and likes knitting, painting, and cutting the blooms off roses. Pugsley Addams, their son (Ken Weatherwax). A young Mad Scientist in the making who once demonstrated a home-made disintegration rifle to a visiting Soviet diplomat. Wednesday Friday Addams, their youngest (Lisa Loring). A sweet, happy child who loves her family, her spider, and her headless doll Marie Antoinette . She is also quite sensitive and easily disturbed by strange and upsetting things like stories of vicious knights slaying innocent dragons. Grandmama, Gomez's mother (Blossom Rock). More than just an old lady but not quite a witch, Grandmama takes a delight in doing a lot of the family's cooking and gladly acts as a secondary parental figure to the children.

Uncle Fester, Morticia's uncle (Jackie Coogan). Blend a Mad Scientist and his Igor together, and filter them through Curly Howard of The Three Stooges , and you get Uncle Fester. Lurch, their Frankensteinian butler (Ted Cassidy). A man(?) of few words but many groans, Lurch may be their all-purpose servant, but he is treated as one of the family, receiving care and devotion from everyone when he needs it. Thing, their... thing. (Credited as "Itself" but usually performed by Ted Cassidy; associate producer Jack Voglin performed in scenes with Lurch.) A hand in a box — many boxes, actually, as there's at least one in every room. Fetches mail, plays charades, performs mime. Clearly both sentient and sapient, and like Lurch treated as a family member rather than a servant or pet. Got its very own romantic subplot in one episode. Together they live in a crumbling Second Empire-style home which looks much like a stereotypical "haunted house" and which seems at times to be animate and sentient, with a playful attitude toward most visitors.

Inside is a museum — or a Ripley's Odditorium: strange and bizarre decorations and furnishings fill the house to the brim, and invariably shock first-time visitors. And do they have visitors. The primary theme of The Addams Family was culture clash — that of post-war America against something profoundly and grotesquely other. All manner of ordinary folk encountered the Addamses — sometimes to their benefit, sometimes to their dismay — but never without challenging their notions of normality and reality. A secondary theme was tolerance — as strange as they are, the Addamses are the heroes, and the viewer is encouraged to understand, empathize and identify with them regardless of their macabre ways. Once the Addamses are familiar, delight comes from anticipating the reaction of the next unsuspecting mundane to cross their path. The show was so exquisitely crafted that this appeal to tolerance was never blatant , save for one memorable episode where a Rebel Without a Cause -style biker crashes into the Addams home; he is so astounded by and grateful for their casual acceptance of his unconventional ways that he holds them up as an example of a true family to his rigid, unyielding father.

In short, a classic series, groundbreaking in many ways, that entertains and challenges the viewer. Among its many "firsts" was the relationship between Gomez and Morticia — one of the most singularly passionate marriages on television in that or any other era, it was perhaps the first time a married couple had been shown to be so fiercely and intensely in love with each other. In fact, it's been half-joked that the couple appear to be the only 1960s TV parents capable of having children. Interestingly, the Addamses are widely considered to be the most mentally healthy 60s Sitcom family out there, and with good reason. A Reunion Show , Halloween With The New Addams Family, aired on CBS in October 1977 featuring most of the original cast. Once the program's cult status was well-established, it became the subject of several revivals, remakes and Animated Adaptations , which are detailed on the franchise overview page . A revival series, The New Addams Family, ran from 1998-1999, and was preceded by a Direct-to-Video pilot movie, Addams Family Reunion.

For tropes found in the original television show, the 1977 television movie with the original cast, or the 1990s live-action revival series, see below. For tropes found in other adaptations, follow the link in the paragraph above. *snap snap*: Accent Upon The Wrong Syllable : In the opening theme song, the word "scream", usually pronounced as one syllable, is pronounced as two syllables—"scree-um"—in order for it to rhyme with "museum." Lurch (Character) - Quotes Lurch (Character) [Gomez and Fester masquerade as an American Gothic portrait] Lurch : [as a cow disguise] Moooooooooooo. [Gomez and Fester rush out of the portrait] [Gomez and Fester hide in Cousin Itt's hair] Gomez Addams : Think we lost him, Fester? Lurch : [popping out from under Itt's hat] Uhhhh-uhhhh. Gomez Addams : Well, thanks anyway, Itt. [Itt jabbers] Gomez Addams : By the way, old man, you missing a motorcycle?

Lurch : [producing a helmet] Yooouuur heeellmeeet... [in the middle of a desert] Gomez Addams : [panting] Fester... the vultures are starting to circle... Uncle Fester : Well, if you would hold still for a second, one of them would land and start pecking...! Uncle Fester : Shoot! Uncle Fester : [brings out a remote] Brother of mine, I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but we do have one last hope: my emergency hiding place! I didn't want to tell you about it, but we are two desperate hombres! Gomez Addams : Whatever it is, brother, do it. [Fester presses the remote, and a 1000-ton weight crushes the two] Lurch : Miisssteerrrrr Adddaaammms? Feesssteeerrr? [Lurch walks away. The clock strikes midnight, and Gomez and Fester pull themselves out under the weight] Gomez Addams : [in victorious agony] We did it, after all these years! The genius that is my brother!

Not only have we finally outwitted Lurch, but we've gained the extra benefit of walking funny for weeks! Lurch : Smiley wants my job. They like him best. Pile of tin junk! It's unfair. [Thing offers Lurch a tissue which, as Lurch takes it, turns out to be a sheet] Lurch : Thank you, Thing. I'm through, finished. [Thing wags a "no you're not" finger at him] Lurch : What can I do? [Thing makes a fist, punches the air twice, slaps the air three times, punches the air twice more then collapses] Lurch : [inspired] Eh. You're a real friend, Thing. Morticia Frump Addams : [bowing to Gomez who has come bounding into the living room wielding a samurai sword] Gong ho, my lord and master. Gomez Addams : [likewise bowing] Yasho, me shukiyaki. Morticia Frump Addams : Samurai time again, darling? Gomez Addams : Yes, but it won't be much fun without Lurch. Then, he has to get his rest. I'll teach Smiley. Smiley!

Smiley : [enters] You - rang? Gomez Addams : No, Smiley, I called. I'm going to make an ancient Japanese warrior out of you, Smiley. First thing I want you to do... Lurch : [interrupting as he enters] Nooooooooooooo! Lurch : [to Smiley] Follow me. Morticia Frump Addams : [after Lurch and Smiley exit] Isn't that sweet! I don't think Lurch is jealous of Smiley anymore. He probably wants to play with him. Gomez Addams : Well, this house always has bred peace and harmony. [loud commotion offstage; Lurch re-enters alone] Gomez Addams : What was that noise all about? Lurch - The Addams Family (1964) Characters - ShareTV Morticia Frump Addams: Samurai time again, darling? Gomez Addams: Yes, but it won't be much fun without Lurch. Then, he has to get his rest. I'll teach Smiley. Smiley! Smiley: [enters] You - rang? Gomez Addams: No, Smiley, I called.

I'm going to make an ancient Japanese warrior out of you, Smiley. First thing I want you to do... Lurch: [interrupting as he enters] Nooooooooooooo! Lurch: [to Smiley] Follow me. Morticia Frump Addams: [after Lurch and Smiley exit] Isn't that sweet! I don't think Lurch is jealous of Smiley anymore. He probably wants to play with him. Gomez Addams: Well, this house always has bred peace and harmony. Gomez Addams: What was that noise all about? 1st Moving Man: No, uh, I mean yes. Just the harpsichord. 2nd Moving Man: We were supposed to p-pick it up tomorrow... 1st Moving Man: ...but as long as we were in the neighborhood... 2nd Moving Man: ...we thought we'd get it today. 1st Moving Man: But we can come back tomorrow. 2nd Moving Man: Yeah, we can send somebody else tomorrow. Lurch: [disbelievingly] You want my harpsichord? 1st Moving Man: No, we don't want it. Mr. Belmont wants it.

2nd Moving Man: For the museum. Lurch: [angry] But it's MINE! 1st Moving Man: S-sure... sure... We have a... a pick-up order. Lurch: [crumpling the work order] Betrayed! 1st Moving Man: Uh, not by us. Look, uh, maybe we're in the wrong place altogether. 2nd Moving Man: Yeah, the wrong place. Lurch: [decisively] Stop! Take it. 1st Moving Man: Really? Ted Cassidy - Biography - IMDb Ted Cassidy Biography Showing all 21 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (2) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (10) | Personal Quotes (2) Overview (4) 6' 9" (2.06 m) Mini Bio (2) Ted Cassidy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and raised in Philippi, West Virginia. He was a well respected actor who portrayed many different characters during his film and television career. His most notable role was Lurch, the faithful butler on the television series The Addams Family (1964).

His most memorable dialogue as Lurch would be, "You rang?", whenever someone summoned him. Due to his large size, (6ft. 9in.) he portrayed larger than life characters. His deep voice, was used for narrations and for dubbing certain character's voices. His acting career spanned three decades. Ted Cassidy died in 1979 from complications following open-heart surgery. His live-in girlfriend had his remains cremated, then buried in the backyard of their Woodland Hills home. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Sujit R. Varma Theodore Crawford "Ted" Cassidy was born on July 31, 1932 in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in Philippi, WV. In his youth, Cassidy was academically gifted, beginning high school at an early age, and he was also on the basketball and football teams. Despite this, he was a frequent target of bullying by his much-older classmates, having already reached a height of 6'1". After graduation, Cassidy moved to attend West Virginia Wesleyan College, becoming an member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.

He later attended Stetson University, where he was active in the student government and played basketball for the Stetson Hatters, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds in three seasons (1952-55). In 1952, Cassidy became a member of the Ormond Beach, FL Live Saving Corp, and worked as a lifeguard in the Ormond Beach/Daytona Beach area. After graduating with a degree in speech and drama, he married Margaret Helen in 1956 and they moved to Dallas, TX. His acting career started when he worked as a mid-day disc jockey on WFAA-AM, and also occasionally appeared on WFAA-TV Channel 8, playing Creech, an outer space creature on the "Dialing for Dollars" segments of Ed Hogan's afternoon movies. (Incidentally, he gave an in-studio report from the WFAA radio station on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and was among the first to interview eyewitnesses W.E. Newman, Jr.

and Gayle Newman.) An accomplished musician, Cassidy moonlighted at Luby's Cafe at the Lochwood shopping center in Dallas, playing the organ to entertain patrons. In 1957, his wife Margaret gave birth to their son, Sean, and, in 1960, their daughter, Cameron, was born. Cassidy's 6' 9" height gave him an advantage in auditioning for unusual character parts, which led to his most famous role as "Lurch" in The Addams Family (1964) (1965-66). Although the character was originally intended to be mute, Cassidy ad-libbed his signature line, "You rang?" The subtle humor and his deep voice was an immediate hit, and thereafter, it was a recurring phrase that was written into the script. Despite being an accomplished organist, the harpsichord was actually a dead keyboard that Ted pretended to play, and the actual music was dubbed by the show's theme composer, Vic Mizzy . When he wasn't on-screen, Cassidy played "Thing", the disembodied hand who assisted the Addams' household, and a crew member would fill in during Lurch's on-camera scenes.

In 1965, Cassidy released a seven-inch vinyl on Capitol Records with two songs; "The Lurch", written by Gary S. Paxton, and "Wesley," written by Cliffie Stone and Scott Turner. He introduced the dance and performed the song "The Lurch" on September 11, 1965 on Shivaree (1965), and again on Halloween of the same year on Shindig! (1964), along with Boris Karloff performing "The Monster Mash". While filming "The Addams Family", Ted found extensive work with Hanna-Barbera Studios on a recurring basis, providing dozens of cartoon character voices. Cassidy also appeared in a variety of other television shows, including a regular role on NBC's The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1968) as "Injun Joe", the nemesis of Tom Sawyer and Huck.

He worked with Gene Roddenberry on the original Star Trek (1966), as the voice of the menacing puppet of "Balok" in "The Corbomite Maneuver", the android "Ruk" in "What Are Little Girls Made of?" and the voice of "The Gorn" in "Arena". He also played "Isiah" in Roddenberry's post-apocalyptic drama pilots, Genesis II (1973) and Planet Earth (1974). Other appearances include The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), Lost in Space (1965), Daniel Boone (1964) and as "Bigfoot" in The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). He also narrated the opening for the TV series The Incredible Hulk (1978), including selected growls and roars during the first two seasons. His theatrical work included Mackenna's Gold (1969) and The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977) among others, but his most memorable role was as "Harvey Logan" in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) in 1969 ("Rules?

In a knife fight?") He also co-wrote the screenplay for 1973's The Harrad Experiment (1973), in which he made a brief appearance. Ted Cassidy died at the age of 46 on January 16, 1979 following complications from open-heart surgery. Actress Sandra Martinez took care of him during his final years, and his remains were cremated and later buried in the backyard of his Woodland Hills home. The exact location is unknown. - IMDb Mini Biography By: mgnylander@yahoo.com Spouse (1) ( 14 June 1956 - 1975) (divorced) (2 children) Trade Mark (2) Addams Family Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia The Addams Family Wiki Addams Family Wiki is a collaborative website about The Addams Family and it's creator, Charles Addams . The wiki format allows anyone to create or edit any article, so we can all work together to create a comprehensive database for Addams fans. Check out the FAQ to help you get started! " Gomez and Pugsley are enthusiastic. Morticia is even in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes deadly.

Grandmama is foolishly good-natured. Wednesday is her mother’s daughter. A closely knit family, the real head being Morticia—although each of the others is a definite character—except for Grandma, who is easily led. Many of the troubles they have as a family are due to Grandma’s fumbling, weak character. The house is a wreck, of course, but this is a house-proud family just the same and every trap door is in good repair. Money is no problem." Where Are They Now? The Cast Of The Addams Family Where Are They Now? The Cast Of The Addams Family Share Comment When it was released in 1991, The Addams Family continued a long line of success for the Charles Addams creation. The clan started life in a series of single-panel cartoons that launched all the way back in 1938. In 1964, they got their own TV series that ran for two seasons on ABC. It was a short run, but the show endured in syndication, eventually becoming iconic. An animated version ran on Saturday mornings starting in 1973.

There was something about this creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky family that held the public’s interest for decades, through various incarnations. Given that fact, a feature-length movie was a no-brainer, and a series of very smart choices helped to ensure its success. The screenplay by Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson was sharp and funny. Barry Sonnenfeld brought a creative sense of direction. Production and set designs were impeccably done. The M.C. Hammer-performed theme song, “Addams Groove,” was a catchy chart hit. The movie also benefited from a series of inspired casting choices. It really was one of those occasions where everything came together in just the right way. The Addams Family earned a whopping $131 million, making it a certified blockbuster. This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the film, so we thought it would be fun to see where the cast members are today. Sit back and get ready to catch up with the actors who did wonderfully kooky work in this comedy smash. Here’s Where Are They Now? The Cast of The Addams Family. 12.

Christopher Lloyd – Uncle Fester Christopher Lloyd was arguably the biggest star coming into The Addams Family, having previously played Doc Brown in the Back to the Future series and Rev. Jim Ignatowki on TV’s Taxi, among many other roles. His expertise in creating offbeat, quirky characters made him the perfect choice for Uncle Fester, the hairless electricity magnet who often gets the most laughs in any version of the franchise. Lloyd delivers a wonderfully weird performance, and the movie lights up (pun intended) whenever he’s on screen. Post-Addams, Lloyd has continued to act constantly in a wide range of TV and movie projects. Among his more notable recent films are Piranha 3D and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For . His less notable work includes playing a character named “Lero Sombrero” in the infamously disastrous children’s picture The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure. Lloyd currently has several promising movies in the can, including Zach Braff’s remake of the 1979 heist comedy Going in Style, in which he will appear alongside Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. 11.

John Franklin – Cousin It Cousin It may well be the strangest character in The Addams Family, and that’s saying a lot. (He wasn’t created by Charles Addams, but fits into the world perfectly nonetheless.) It is a short person – or at least we think he’s a person – completely draped in long, flowing hair. No one can see what’s under that mane. Apparently, It is a sexual being, as the movie finds him having an affair with the wife of a corrupt lawyer intent on snatching the Addams family’s money. Portraying Cousin It was Chicago native John Franklin, who grew up with a growth hormone deficiency that kept him from growing beyond 4’10”. Prior to The Addams Family, he played Isaac in 1984’s Children of the Corn and frequently worked in commercials. Franklin has had a few minor movie roles subsequently, a bit part in Wag the Dog being the most prominent of them. In 2003, he decided to retire from acting to teach screenwriting and English. Today, he teaches at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, California, under his real name, John Salapatek. 10.

Judith Malina – Granny Judith Malina was a German actress who co-founded The Living Theater, an avant-garde political acting troupe that achieved notoriety in the ’50s and ’60s for promoting things like marijuana use and nudity, both onstage and in the audience. Upon coming to Hollywood, she secured jobs working for major directors, including Sidney Lumet in Dog Day Afternoon, Woody Allen in Radio Days, and Paul Mazursky in Enemies: A Love Story. Appearing in a goofball comedy like The Addams Family was a real change of pace for Malina, but she approached the role of Granny with the same seriousness that she brought to dramatic roles. Malina kept working in theater after the movie, co-directing Living Theater productions. Her later screen credits include episodes of ER and The Sopranos, plus a role in the 2010 Kristen Bell romantic comedy When in Rome. A two-time widow with two children by her first husband, Malina herself passed away on April 10, 2015 from lung disease, reported to have been brought on by years of smoking. 9.

Dan Hedaya – Tully Alford Dan Hedaya is one of those quintessential “That Guy” actors. Not everyone knows his name, but everyone recognizes his face, thanks to an extensive filmography that stretches back to 1970. Key roles on Cheers and Hill Street Blues helped introduce audiences to his expressive face and unusual voice. Those qualities made him a natural for playing seedy characters, and The Addams Family shrewdly cast him as Tully Alford, a dishonest lawyer who hatches a plan to get inside the clan’s home and raid the vault where they keep all their money. As always, Hedaya earns laughs with slow-burn reactions and droll delivery of lines. Hedaya remains a very in-demand actor. Since 1991, he has worked in dozens of television and movie productions, both comedy and drama. One of his most famous roles is playing Alicia Silverstone’s father in Clueless. He has also worked for top directors like Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects), Ron Howard (Ransom), and David Lynch (Mulholland Drive). The actor memorably portrayed a comic version of Richard Nixon in the comedy Dick, alongside Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams.

Hedaya’s most recent credits include last year’s Al Pacino drama The Humbling, as well as episodes of Blue Bloods and The Mindy Project. His next film, Douglas Brown, is slated for release later this year. 8. Dana Ivey – Margaret Alford As with many Addams Family cast members, Dana Ivey has extensive stage experience. The actress, who played Tully’s wife/Cousin It’s fling, achieved the rare feat of being nominated for two Tony Awards in the same season, for 1984’s Sunday in the Park with George and Heartbreak House. Onscreen, she brought her dependable talent to projects as diverse as The Color Purple, Postcards from the Edge, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Ivey kept on making all kinds of films in the years after playing Margaret Alford, establishing herself as a versatile character actress who could adapt to virtually any genre. Among her credits are Home Alone 2, Sleepless in Seattle, and Rush Hour 3. Her workload has slowed down slightly in the last few years, but you may have seen her in The Help or on a few episodes of Boardwalk Empire .

She has no current screen projects in the pipeline, although hopefully that will soon change. 7. Elizabeth Wilson – Abigail Craven Veteran actress Elizabeth Wilson began her screen career back in 1946 with a bit part in Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious. From there, she amassed dozens of credits. She was a Tony Award winner for the play Sticks and Stones in 1972, plus a favorite of director Mike Nichols, who cast her in The Graduate, Catch-22, and Regarding Henry. She had notable roles in 9 to 5 and The Incredible Shrinking Woman, as well. In The Addams Family, Wilson was cast as Abigail Craven, a woman who conspires with Alford to rob the clan. She poses as a psychiatrist named Dr. Pinder-Schloss to dupe Gomez. There were a few more juicy roles in Elizabeth Wilson’s future, including one in Robert Redford’s Quiz Show and one on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Largely, though, she returned to the stage. Her final screen appearance was in 2012’s Hyde Park on Hudson, in which Bill Murray played Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The actress died on May 9, 2015, at the age of 94. 6. Carel Struycken – Lurch An Addams Family movie might never have come together if the filmmakers hadn’t been able to find an actor to play Lurch, the massive manservant to the group. They not only needed someone tall, but also someone who could match the droll wit Ted Cassidy famously brought to the role on the ’60s TV series. Thankfully, they found seven-foot Dutch actor Carel Struycken. Whereas co-star John Franklin had a growth hormone deficiency, Struycken was born with acromegaly, a syndrome in which the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone. The actor used this to his advantage, snagging roles that required extremely large men, such as “the Giant” on Twin Peaks . Struycken was a standout as Lurch, but the simple fact is that there aren’t a whole lot of parts for people of his height. Intermittent film and TV work followed, most notably in Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1987 smash Men in Black and, more recently, NBC’s The Blacklist .

The actor fills his time by pursuing other interests. He is an avid photographer and runs a website dedicated to “spherical panoramas,” 360-degree pictures that give viewers a sense that they are in a fixed position but can look around. 5. Christopher Hart – Thing Of everyone in the cast, Christopher Hart has the shortest resume. That’s because acting was never his primary vocation. At the tender young age of eight, he became interested in magic and decided to pursue it, later gaining acceptance into the legendary Magic Castle’s junior program and eventually working for illusionist David Copperfield. Hart also performed slight-of-hand tricks in commercials for McDonald’s and other well-known companies. His talent in manipulating his hands led to him being cast as Thing, a character who is nothing more than a disembodied hand that crawls around and occasionally perches itself on Fester’s head. Hart reprised the role for Addams Family Values, and also played a hand in the 1999 Seth Green horror-comedy Idle Hands.

(Do you see a trend emerging here?) By and large, though, he has stuck to the magic business, where he is known as “the man with the movie star hand.” Hart travels the world, astounding audiences with his skills. 4. Jimmy Workman – Pugsley How’s this for a debut? The Addams Family marked Jimmy Workman’s first acting performance. That he held his own alongside some heavyweight actors showed what a natural he was. He got the part by accident. His older sister Shanelle was reading for the role of Wednesday, and he went with her to the audition. The casting directors saw Jimmy and, sensing something, had him read for Pugsley. He got hired. Shanelle didn’t. That must have made for some awkward evenings at home. Workman didn’t really seem to have acting in his blood, despite the major role in a big film. He puttered around a little bit, popping up in As Good as It Gets in 1997 and doing an uncredited cameo in the Chris Farley/David Spade vehicle Black Sheep. He was also a production assistant on Star Trek: Insurrection. In 2004, he retired from acting permanently.

Workman was in the news a couple years ago for some family drama involving guardianship of younger sister Ariel Winter (star of Modern Family) who accused their mother of abuse and subsequently was cared for by Shanelle. That finally seems to have been resolved. According to his Facebook page, he currently works for Teamsters Local 399. 3. Raul Julia – Gomez Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia had a career that was about as diverse as one can get. Early on, he worked in the New York Shakespeare Festival and on the classic kids’ show Sesame Street. Nominated for multiple Tony Awards, Julia’s breakout movie role was playing Valentin in 1985’s critically acclaimed Kiss of the Spider Woman. He went on to co-star in films as varied as Tequila Sunrise, Frankenstein Unbound, and Clint Eastwood’s The Rookie. The actor cranked up the suave, darkly debonair side of Gomez Addams, turning him into a quirky sort of heartthrob. It was a fresh take on a familiar character, and it earned him rave reviews.

Once again, it was shown how a good actor can bring depth to a fluffy “popcorn movie.” Julia had career ups and downs after The Addams Family. He won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a SAG award for his work in the TV movie The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story, but the big screen video game adaptation Street Fighter was a notorious bomb. He looked a lot thinner in those two films because he’d had surgery for an infection in his stomach. Health issues persisted, and in October of 1994, Julia suffered a stroke. He fell into a coma and was put on life support. Four days later, the wildly talented star passed away at the age of 54. 2. Anjelica Huston – Morticia Coming into The Addams Family, Anjelica Huston was already Hollywood royalty. Her father was director John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen), and her grandfather was actor Walter Huston, who won an Oscar for his role in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Anjelica was an Oscar winner, too, having been named Best Supporting Actress of 1985 for Prizzi’s Honor, in which she starred alongside longtime on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack Nicholson. Her very presence in The Addams Family represented a major casting coup. Huston looked the part of Morticia, bringing a sultry-yet-smart quality to the character. Her scenes with Raul Julia gave off romantic vibes that provided a splash of humanity to the otherwise exaggerated nature of the movie. Huston remains a busy actress. Recent years have found her appearing in multiple Wes Anderson films, including The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited. The actress has also worked on the TV shows Smash and Bojack Horseman. She will next be seen in The Master Cleanse, an independent comedy about a man who attends a spiritual retreat and finds it doesn’t exactly provide what he expects. The film, which also stars Oliver Platt and Anna Friel, had its world premiere at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival. 1.

Christina Ricci – Wednesday From the time she made her screen debut as Cher’s daughter in 1990’s Mermaids, it was clear that Christina Ricci was a young actress with considerable talent. She was the ideal choice to play Wednesday, the darkest and most morbid of the Addamses. With a pitch-perfect deadpan delivery and a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, Ricci quickly solidified her stardom, earning accolades from critics and audiences alike. The following years saw the actress cast in a wide variety of films, including well-received dramas The Ice Storm, The Opposite of Sex, Sleepy Hollow, and Monster, plus light comedies such as John Waters’ Pecker and Woody Allen’s Anything Else. Recently, Ricci provided the voices of Vexy in The Smurfs 2 and the Yellow Crayon in The Hero of Color City. She headlined a short-lived TV series on ABC called Pan Am, and played the lead role in the miniseries The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. Ricci will next be seen this May in the ensemble drama Mothers and Daughters, which also stars Susan Sarandon, Courteney Cox, Selma Blair, and Sharon Stone.

— Sadly, some of the Addams Family stars are no longer with us. Those who are continue to be active in performing and, in a few cases, other equally meaningful work. Who was your favorite cast member? Let us know in the comments.

Question: On TV, who did the character Lurch work for?
Answer: ADDAMS FAMILY