There are few things that truly connect all generations in similar experiences, but one such thread through time is The Addams Family. The family of polite yet foreboding characters were created back in the '60s, and there have been numerous recreations throughout time, the most recent being the sequel to the animated version, The Addams Family 2, which has the youngest generation of macabre ghoulies getting pulled into the family we all love to indulge in.
The classic dark comedy sitcom centering on the odd family only lasted two Seasons, but it certainly made a lasting impression. The first film adaptation came out back in 1991, and the actors who portrayed the creepy and kooky family are pretty much cemented in history as those characters, despite many other versions of the family existing. The 30 year anniversary is coming up to the original Addams Family movie, and we’re taking a look at where the iconic cast is now.
Anjelica Huston (Morticia)
Casting Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams could have been the easiest, most obvious decision ever made in the history of filmmaking. The woman is severe and startling beauty, and thirty years later, Huston looks like she could walk right on a live-action set and take back up the role as Morticia in an instant. Her dark hair, fair skin, and piercing stare are enough for anyone to want to kiss her hand and pee themselves at the same time. The Witches actress has stayed pretty consistent in Hollywood since the late ‘60s up until pretty much now.
Most recently, you may have recognized her voice as the narrator of The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson’s newest film that was released this October and had a pretty epically star-studded cast. She has done a fair amount of voice acting in the last few years, in both children’s programs and adult cartoons. She has small recurring roles in both American Dad! And BoJack Horseman, and she voiced a character in Isle of Dogs and Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. You may have also seen her in the most recent chapter of the John Wick franchise, where she played the type of character she usually hates in The Director. Anjelica Huston is very openly passionate about animals, though, so it totally makes sense she’d be a softy for some puppy-avenging John Wick.
Raul Julia (Gomez)
Unfortunately, The Addams Family and the follow up that came a couple years after, Addams Family Values, were two of the last films that Raul Julia worked on. The actor passed away just a year after Family Values was released at the age of 54, due to a stroke. Other than playing Gomez Addams, he was known for his role in Street Fighter, which was finished just days after he passed away. Although he had a successful career in Hollywood, including several Golden Globe nominations, it was only really starting to take off when he died - who knows what kind of iconic performances we were robbed of with his passing.
Christina Ricci (Wednesday)
Wednesday is probably the most beloved of the Addamses, an opinion supported by the upcoming series named after her, and the then 10-year-old Christina Ricci did a phenomenal job portraying her in The Addams Family. She’s been active in Hollywood ever since, and shows no signs of slowing down. Ricci has completed filming on the newest Matrix film, The Matrix Resurrections which is set to release December 21st of this year. She also is working on the film Monstrous and the series Yellowjackets, in which she stars alongside Juliette Lewis. The Black Snake Moan actress has stayed pretty true to her Addams Family roots and is known for playing pretty dark roles.
Jimmy Workman (Pugsley)
Wednesday’s deviant older brother Pugsley was played by Jimmy Workman, who is still in the movie business, but out from in front of the camera. The Addams Family was his claim to fame, but he has continued to work on the production of films. Most recently he has worked behind the scenes on The Last Manhunt, which was written and produced by Jason Momoa.
Interestingly enough, Jimmy Workman’s younger sister is Ariel Winters, who has been able to duplicate success in front of the camera, having had her big break by playing Alex in Modern Family for its 11 year run.
Christopher Lloyd (Uncle Fester)
For a man who has been working in the industry for decades, Christopher Lloyd stays on that Hollywood grind. The guy has been putting out multiple projects every year since the mid ‘70s and has been a part of more than one iconic franchise (although, being a mainstay in the Back to The Future cast is notably enough to count as a few just by itself). Out of everyone on this list, Lloyd has the most going on professionally and he has been keeping majorly busy.
You can catch Christopher Lloyd in the George Clooney directed and Ben Affleck led film The Tender Bar, which is getting a December release this year. You may have caught a peek of him earlier this year in Nobody as Bob Odenkirk’s father, and he’s got the next few years lined up with projects that are either completed, finished with filming, or announced. You’ll find him among a number of recognizable stars in Man & Witch and playing a familiar type of role as an eccentric time traveler in Time, The Fourth Dimension, just to name a couple upcoming projects of Lloyd’s.
Carel Struycken (Lurch)
Carel Struycken is easily recognizable in pretty much anything he plays in, thanks to his towering height. It’s pretty safe to say that he has fallen into a type cast thanks to his distinct look and has been in some pretty recognizable horror/creepy projects like Doctor Sleep, Twin Peaks, and Gerald’s Game. He was in this year’s The Eden Theory and typically plays non speaking roles, similar to his portrayal of The Addams Family’s Lurch.
It’s interesting to note that Carel Struycken is one of the only Addams Family cast members to portray his character in all 3 of the live-action films, as most actors did not return for the TV movie Addams Family Reunion.
Judith Malina (Granny)
Judith Malina only ever appeared as Granny Addams in the first live-action film, not returning to the role for Addams Family Values. Malina passed away in 2015 at the age of 88, and her last project, the TV movie Over/Under, was released just two years before her death. She also appeared in When in Rome, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Sopranos.
Christopher Hart (Thing)
Christopher Hart is a Hollywood enigma, and one of the most interesting “fun facts” to whip out at any Halloween party. Hart has only ever played a hand. Literally every single one of his roles has been a disembodied hand. He is the main hand behind Thing, the only actor besides Carel Struycken to play in all three ‘90s live action Addams Family films. He is also known for his part in Idle Hands - again, playing just a hand.
The very niche actor is a sleight of hand magician, and although his hands haven’t acted since ‘99, they’re still very much making magic for awed audiences.
John Franklin (Cousin It)
While The Addams Family would certainly be a jewel on any actor’s crown, John Franklin actually is most well-known for his role as Isaac in Children of the Corn, which was actually his very first film appearance and came almost 10 years before he played Cousin It. It’s not surprising he didn’t get a push forward in his career after The Addams Family, though, because he was hidden under a body of long luscious hair.
John Franklin took a break from acting for a while and became a teacher. After a stint teaching the future generations, though, he returned to acting and writing. You may recognize him from an episode of Brooklyn 99 as a member of the ham handed Boyle family, Most recently, he was in the horror comedy Hell’s Kitty.
Elizabeth Wilson (Abigail Craven)
Sadly Elizabeth Wilson passed away back in 2015, just a month after Judith Malina. She was 94 years old, and her life was a collection of incredible roles dating back to the ‘60s. She played Dustin Hoffman’s character’s mother in The Graduate, and she was also in the iconic Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton. She stayed active in Hollywood until about 2 years before her death.
Dan Hedaya (Tully Alford)
Dan Hedaya has been killing it since the ‘80s. He’s played in some truly iconic films, maybe most notably The Usual Suspects and Clueless in the ‘90s. He also had roles in Mulholland Drive, Blood Simple, Swimfan, A Night at the Roxbury, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This year, Hedaya had The God Committee on his agenda, where he acted alongside the likes of Julia Stiles, Kelsey Grammer, and Fear The Walking Dead’s Colman Domingo.
Dana Ivey (Margaret Alford)
Dana Ivey has been successful in both film and broadway acting. She is a five time Tony nominated Broadway star and has been active in her Hollywood acting career since the ‘80s. She appeared in Boardwalk Empire, Two Weeks Notice, Sabrina, and Rush Hour 3. The last film she contributed to was Ocean’s 8, but she is appearing in a documentary that is in the works about Broadway called Broadway: The Next Generation.
This mismatched cast may have come from all different backgrounds and went on to do so many different things, but they certainly worked together making The Addams Family movie into something truly special, that has now been remade into an animated version that the new generations can enjoy. This year’s The Addams Family 2 is now in theaters and available for on-demand streaming purchase. Another live-action series is in the works from director Tim Burton centered around Wednesday Addams, and we can hopefully expect that to drop sometime next year!
If you’re anything like us, you can’t wait to see what’s next for the kooky family. To stay updated on what’s to come to the big screen or streaming on your own screen at home, check out our schedule of upcoming 2022 new movie releases.
