They’re creepy, and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky …
So much has changed since the freaky bunch stole our hearts in 1991. Still, the Addams Family and
its sequel are two creepy movies that we’ll never get tired of. They are so iconic that it’s hard
to believe the first one’s turning 30 this year. Feels like we’ve just watched it last Halloween.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the time slowed down a bit? Meanwhile, we’re curious about what’s happened in
the lives of the actors responsible for the spooky gang. Especially after we heard about
the revival. Yep, that’s right. The morbid yet unbelievably funny family’s coming back — sort of.
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Recently, Netflix has landed Tim Burton’s live-action Addams Family series.
Unsurprisingly, it’s going to be focused on the iconic character of Wednesday.
No official announcements have been made yet, but fans are already dubbing the Depp family
for the roles of Wednesday and Gomez. Meanwhile, Christina Ricci, who played
Wednesday herself in the original movies, is rumoured to run for Morticia. If the Depps
just so happen to be cast, this would mark an interesting reunion, as Johnny and Christina
previously co-starred in the Gothic horror Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton himself.
Begs the question. Are we going to see familiar faces, and what are the original actors up to now?
Let’s go down that rabbit hole. We know you want to!
Anjelica Huston as Morticia: mysterious, elegant and unbothered by anything
It’s hard not to be inspired by mama Addams! From the way she glided down that mansion’s
halls to the way she spoke to Gomez with such passion, no one could have done what Huston did.
To this day, the 69-year-old Anjelica remains a busy bee. Ever since the
blockbuster hit and its sequel, Huston has been featured in movies like Ever After,
Daddy Day Care and a string of Wes Anderson films. She’s also worked on the TV shows Smash and BoJack
Horseman and appeared in a small but prominent role in John Wick alongside Keanu Reeves.
In 2020, Huston joined Gucci’s Bloom campaign with Florence Welch and Jodie Turner-Smith.
When she’s not acting, the former love of Jack Nicholson spends most
of her days at her ranch near California’s National Forest and is a keen horse rider.
Raúl Juliá as Gomez: suave and quirky sort of heartthrob
Puerto Rican actor Raúl Juliá arguably put up the BEST performance as the father figure that
was both caring and demented at the same time. A fresh take on a familiar character earned
him respect and love from fans and co-stars alike. Another example of how a good actor
could bring depth to a fluffy “popcorn movie.” By the time he filmed the two Addams movies,
Juliá had already gained international fame for his stage performances.
The actor received Tony and Golden Globe nominations and starred alongside Meryl Streep
in a revival of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Post-Addams, Raúl had career ups and downs.
And in 1994, he suffered a stroke. Sadly, Juliá fell into a coma and was put on life support.
Four days later, the wildly talented star passed away at the age of 54.
Christina Ricci as Wednesday: from sweet and eccentric to dark and psychopathic
From the time she made her screen debut as Cher’s daughter in Mermaids,
it was clear that Christina Ricci was going to be a star. With a pitch-perfect deadpan
delivery and a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, Ricci impressed critics and audiences alike.
No surprise that post-Addams, she appeared in Casper and Sleepy Hollow,
cementing her place as a teen icon. Losing the titular role in Romeo + Juliet,
the actor went on to embrace edgy and outside-of-the-box
movie roles like Monster and Black Snake Moan. The following years saw Christina cast in a wide
variety of films and quite successfully so. The 2018 psychological thriller, Distorted,
received mixed reviews from critics, but everyone agreed that Ricci’s performance was impeccable.
And now she may be returning to play the matriarch of the Addams family,
which seems to be just perfect. It feels like a no-brainer since, to be fair,
she’s had enough experience being part of the iconic dark and twisted bunch.
Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester: a bit creepy and so lovely at the same time
Christopher Lloyd was arguably the biggest star in the family, having played Doc Brown in Back
to the Future. His expertise in creating offbeat, quirky characters made him perfect for the role.
It’s shocking to think he was nervous about playing the hairless electricity magnet,
who often gets the most laughs.
As it turns out, Lloyd grew up reading cartoons, and Fester was his favourite character.
When Christopher got called in to audition, he was worried he wasn’t doing the character justice.
Add that to the fact that he ALMOST didn’t get the part. Reportedly, Sir Anthony
Hopkins was offered the role. Undoubtedly, he would’ve been amazing, but we’re happy anyway!
After a few tries, Lloyd said he was called into a meeting where he thought he’d be recast for sure.
Luckily, it happened to be a meeting about makeup. He ended up playing the part to perfection,
and the character has since become one of his most iconic roles.
Post-Addams, he’s continued to act in a wide range of TV and movie projects. Most notably,
Zach Braff’s remake of the heist comedy Going in Style alongside Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.
Carel Struycken as Lurch: gloomy but always loyal The movie might have never come together if the
filmmakers hadn’t been able to find someone to play Lurch. They not only needed a tall
actor but also someone who could match the wit Ted Cassidy famously brought to the role in the ’60s.
Thankfully, they found Dutch actor Carel Struycken, who easily qualified for the part
in the height category: he is SEVEN feet tall. Struycken was able to use his height — along
with his distinctive facial features — to his advantage. And thanks to his previous
work in Star Trek and Twin Peaks, the actor was chosen for the role of the imposing giant.
Post-Addams Family franchise, he has many films and TV credits to his name, including Charmed,
My Name is Earl and most recently Gotham. Hard to believe, but Carel is now an avid
photographer, who runs a website specializing in spherical panoramas.
Christopher Hart as Thing: the man with the movie star hand
For Christopher Hart, acting was never a primary vocation. The man is a skilled magician who,
wait for it, worked with the great David Copperfield. And because he
actually resembled David, he participated in several of his most famous illusions.
Hart’s talent in manipulating his hands and perhaps his early life led to him
being a part of the family. Turns out, as a teenager, Chris earned extra money working in
a cemetery as a gravedigger. Soon realizing that it was a dead-end job, he accepted a
position demonstrating tricks at the largest West Coast magic shop. Now, that’s a step-up!
Working in Hollywood allowed him to meet and perform before the likes of Michael Jackson and
Muhammad Ali Hart reprised the role for the sequel and later played a hand in the horror-comedy Idle
Hands. Now the magician mostly travels the world, astounding audiences with his skills.
Judith Malina as Grandmama: the stereotypical witch we all think about come Halloween
Grandmama Addams was initially described as having a morbid sense of humour
and a devilishly keen interest in the occult, which Judith played perfectly.
Appearing in a goofball comedy was a real change of pace for Malina,
as she started her journey with dramatic roles in theatre. She even co-founded The Living Theatre,
an avant-garde political acting troupe. It achieved notoriety in
the ’50s and ’60s for promoting things like marijuana use and nudity, both onstage and
in the audience. The actor was committed to non-violence and anarchism all of her life.
Later on, Judith appeared in an episode of The Sopranos and was the subject of a 2012
documentary, Love and Politics. Malina sadly passed away in 2015
from lung disease, reportedly brought on by years of smoking.
Carol Kane as Grandmama: kooky all the way As great of a job as Malina did in the first film,
directors were looking for someone else for Addams Family Values.
Often playing kooky, comedic characters, Carol Kane walked into the sequel with the perfect
background. By then, she’d already starred in films like Hester Street,
Annie Hall, and The Princess Bride. Friends with Huston since they were teenagers,
Kane is actually a year younger than her on-screen daughter.
Well, the makeup artists did a great job! “It was just nice to be a part of that group
that I already loved,” Kane said. The actor had an instant connection with pretty much everybody.
Post-Addams, Kane mostly appeared on TV and in the musical Wicked,
both in touring productions and on Broadway.
Jimmy Workman as Pugsley): unexpected turn of events
As the son of Morticia and Gomez, Pugsley Addams was made to be as devious as his sis
Wednesday. If the two siblings weren’t trying to kill each other, they found time
to team up to scare unsuspecting passers-by. In real life, Jimmy was just an unassuming
kid brother waiting for his sister to audition for the role of Wednesday.
The casting directors saw the guy and, sensing something, had him read for Pugsley. Unexpectedly,
he got hired, and his sister didn’t. Whoa, that must have made for some awkward evenings at home.
Although Workman later played minor roles in both film and television,
he retired from acting a long time ago. Now he works behind the scenes on the technical
staff of film and TV production, which is, you know, to each his own.
John Franklin as Cousin Itt: the perfect newcomer
Cousin Itt may well be the strangest character in the movie, and that’s
saying a lot. He wasn’t created by Charles Addams but fitted into the world perfectly.
John Franklin has been used to playing creepy and oddball characters, so accepting the role of
gibbering and hairy Cousin Itt wasn’t a stretch. Before the Addams Family, he was best known as the
young cult leader in Stephen King’s Children of the Corn, which he would later reprise.
Post Addams Family, John appeared on TV shows like Star Trek: Voyager
and Chicago Hope and had small roles in films. In 2003, he decided to retire from acting to teach
screenwriting and English. Thirteen years later, John returned to Hollywood as an actor and writer.
In 2017, he portrayed Christina “Tina” Boyle in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
It’s unlikely that most of the actors return full-time,
but perhaps some of them would like to make a cameo. What do you think?
Who would you like to see in Tim Burton’s TV show? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.