From actors standing up for writers, to getting canceled by a superhero, filming "The Addams
Family" was a wild ride for everyone involved.
When it comes to Gomez Addams, there are two names who immediately come to mind: John Astin
and Raul Julia.
Both actors helped to shape the beloved character with a snappy dress style, a delightful mustache,
and total devotion to his wife and family.
Considering the Addams family members never had first names before the television series
aired, the classic show all but shaped who they were and how they would behave going forward.
However, it could have been very different had Astin been cast for the original role
he was earmarked for.
Speaking to The A.V.
Club, the actor explained how he wasn't required to audition because of his status at the time.
It also helped that he was familiar with The Addams Family.
He had collected Charles Addams' cartoons when he was in college, so he was particularly
excited to be a part of the show.
The role he was initially pitched was that of Lurch — which Astin admitted seemed daunting.
This plan changed, though, after producer and show creator David Levy contacted Astin
with another suggestion.
Astin told The A.V. Club:
Naming a child Wednesday isn't the most outrageous parental act ever committed.
However, the case of Wednesday Addams is intriguing, because it now seems like a fitting name for
her personality and appearance.
"It's me Wednesday."
Still, one has to wonder who came up with the idea to name her after a weekday in the
first place.
According to a letter sent to The New Yorker, Joan Blake claimed credit for the name after
a chance encounter with Charles Addams at a mutual friend's party in the '60s.
Blake wrote in the letter:
According to the book The Addams Family: An Evilution, Blake's story does check out, as
Addams mentioned it was a friend who suggested Wednesday after reciting the line from the
nursery rhyme "Monday's Child."
There are many creators who despise adaptations of their work.
But according to The Addams Family producer David Levy, Charles Addams was nothing but
supportive of the classic television series.
Writing for The Los Angeles Times, Levy stated the following:
However, Levy doesn't believe Addams would have looked at the live-action films quite
as fondly, believing they missed the mark of what The Addams Family was really about.
Of course this is simply Levy's thoughts on the matter, as Addams passed away three years
before the 1991 film was released.
Perhaps if Addams had still been alive, he might have had some input for the final product.
Cousin Itt is arguably one of the most beloved characters of The Addams Family.
However, Itt didn't make his debut in Charles Addams' cartoons, but rather the classic television series.
As per The Los Angeles Times, actor Felix Silla, who played Cousin Itt, said,
Silla's sole purpose was to walk around in costume for the scenes that required him,
while the lines for the character would be dubbed in later on in the post-production process.
There was one problem: Silla's costume was made from real hair, which made it extremely
heavy and dangerous since everyone on set liked to smoke.
Fearful that he might be set on fire one day, the producers changed his costume to a much
safer option, which featured synthetic, fireproof hair.
The Addams house has become a critical part of any version of the spooky family.
In various interpretations, it has taken the shape of a mysterious haunted mansion, and
the classic television series employed a similar approach as well.
While most of the action took place inside the home, which was shot in a studio set,
the outside of the house was featured in the show's intro, publicity photos, and the first episode.
It would have been possible to utilize a model house for the footage, but there was an actual
Addams house in Los Angeles, California — well, for a short while at least.
According to 21 Chester Place, a website that covers the history of this famous property,
the production company used the house for stock footage.
Since the company didn't own the property, it employed an effects studio to add the necessary
details to the footage and photographs.
Unfortunately, the fabled Addams house no longer exists, as it was demolished in 1967.
Lurch might look all doom and gloom, as if someone stole his secret stash of chocolate
cookies, but there's a lot more to the Addams' staggering butler than meets the eye.
The role of Lurch is a part that features a lot of nuance and subtlety, something not
many actors can pull off.
Ted Cassidy not only delivered a fantastic performance as Lurch in The Addams Family
TV series, but he also became the measuring stick for the character that all other actors
will be judged by.
Surprisingly, Lurch was the first television role where viewers got to experience both
Cassidy's voice and face, as he had only done voiceover work before.
Standing at 6 foot 9, Cassidy had a successful semi-pro basketball career, especially in
the college leagues.
However, the entertainment bug bit when he secured a gig as a radio DJ.
Then, at the age of 30, he decided to give acting a try.
Fortunately, due to his towering frame and distinctive voice, he was deemed the perfect
person to bring Lurch to life.
"You rang, sir?"
"You're fired."
Taking one look at the patriarch in Charles Addams' cartoons and John Astin's Gomez, it's
clear there are differences in their appearances.
As Astin explained to The A.V.
Club, the producers allowed him the space to shape the character for the show and to
tinker with the source material.
However, in a separate interview with the Television Academy Foundation, he explained
how he received pushback from the network, as it wanted Astin to shave the sides of his
head to look more like the character from the cartoons.
Fortunately for Astin, producer and show creator David Levy backed his ideas and ultimately
allowed the actor to choose the path for Gomez.
Astin told The A.V. Club:
Astin believed this tweak to his character's appearance further fueled the natural chemistry
between Gomez and Morticia on the show.
Considering how they are still seen as a guiding light for couples around the world, it appears
as if Astin's decision was right on the money.
While John Astin's Gomez, Carolyn Jones' Morticia, and Jackie Coogan's Fester may have stolen
all the limelight when The Addams Family television series was released, the children also inspired
a generation.
Lisa Loring's Wednesday became a future goth icon, while Ken Weatherwax's Pugsley became
the living embodiment of the macabre nature of the show.
For Weatherwax, though, the role became more of an albatross than a kick-starter for a
successful career.
Speaking to Bill O'Reilly, Weatherwax revealed how he struggled to find acting gigs after
The Addams Family, since most producers only saw him as Pugsley.
"I went out and, um, interviewed for several roles but I was typecasted Pugsley."
The role also took a toll on his personal life, as he experienced bullying from his classmates.
Weatherwax told O'Reilly:
Most five-year-old children are still busy learning to read and write, not even giving
a second thought to what they want to be when they grow up.
Lisa Loring admitted to The Sydney Morning Herald the same was applicable to her, as
she had to learn how to memorize her lines before she could even read for her role as
Wednesday Addams on The Addams Family television series.
It certainly made no difference, though, since the show changed her life and made her one
of the most well-known child actors in the industry.
Loring revealed that she didn't have a comprehensive filmography when she auditioned for Wednesday,
yet she still secured the role over another young actor auditioning for the part.
It seemed surprising that Loring came out on top since there's often a natural reluctance
from productions to cast very young children.
Loring claimed the reason for her casting success was because of her uncanny resemblance
to Carolyn Jones, who portrayed her onscreen mother Morticia.
Despite The Addams Family television series finding its audience and becoming a runaway
success, it only lasted for two years on the air.
In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, John Astin revealed how surprised
he was to hear that the show had been canceled, though he knew the then-president of the network
had a slightly different sense of humor which may have impacted the abrupt decision.
However, Astin expressed how another show's debut may have also played a pivotal part
in the cancellation.
Astin told the Television Academy Foundation:
"You shallow brained simpletons, where's your imagination?
Your ambition!?"
Astin appeared in Batman, portraying The Riddler in Season 2 of the show, while Ted Cassidy's
Lurch also made a guest appearance in an episode.
There's sage advice that says never mess with a winning formula.
But in the world of TV executives, they love nothing more than to tweak and change things,
even when the show is a smash hit and everything works well.
It turns out The Addams Family television series wasn't immune to this phenomenon either,
as John Astin revealed to The A.V. Club.
The actor gushed about working with producer and series creator David Levy and head writer
Nat Perrin, explaining how there was a natural artistic synergy between all parties and how
it developed into a friendly working relationship.
However, the production company decided it wanted to replace Levy and Perrin, so Astin
and Caroyln Jones intervened to get their old crew back.
Astin told The A.V. Club:
While reboots are fairly common in both film and television, The Addams Family television
series' unprecedented success scared off potential suitors from trying to redo it.
The franchise lived on through various animated shows and live-action films, but there was
a fear of reviving the series until 1998.
The New Addams Family featured a brand new cast, with John Astin later making guest appearances
as Grandpapa Addams.
The show won a few Leo Awards in 2000 and introduced a new generation to this kooky
family, but it didn't have the same lasting impact or cultural influence as the original series.
Ironically, there's also a misconception that The New Addams Family was short-lived in comparison
to the original.
That's inaccurate, though, since the classic television series ran for 64 episodes from
1964 to 1966, while The New Addams Family aired 65 episodes from 1998 to 1999.
Of course, the original series returned for a reunion TV film and the cast provided their
voices for the characters in other projects.
However, The New Addams Family still holds the distinct honor of lasting for one more
episode than its predecessor.