# The Addams Family. Are they dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695 "2004-07-31T04:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/41 "2004-08-01T13:02:27Z")
Just thought I’d mention my favorite source for this kind of info- [Who’s Alive and Who’s Dead](http://www.wa-wd.com/) . ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/42 "2004-08-01T16:23:37Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > just weird and, you know, fictional. 😉 That last part is just unnecessary details. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/43 "2004-08-01T17:39:18Z")
> [@Jenny Haniver](#): > > [Wednesday]Does it matter? [/Wednesday] > PS - John Astin (Gomez from the TV series) is very much alive, and currently teaches at Johns Hopkins University. His son Sean Astin played Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings movies. (Although I think recently DNA testing revealed that Sean isn’t John’s biological son.) John Astin also tours in a [one-man show](http://www.astin-poe.com/) based on the life of Edgar AlLan Poe. By all accounts I’ve ever read, incidentally, he’s an incredibly intelligent, nice and well-read fellow. (I loved his cameo as somebody who may or may not have been John Astin on _Mad About You_.) Regarding his son’s paternity, Patty Duke freely admitted that she wasn’t sure whether Astin or Desi Arnaz, Jr. fathered Sean, but knew it was one or the other. DNA testing a few years ago revealed that his father was none of the above but rather Michael Tell, a man Patty was married to for less than a month (she married him when she learned she was pregnant) and swears she never slept with. She was in the midst of a full blown manic episode at the time so apparently her memory of the time is pretty scrambled. (Astin’s younger son with Duke is Mackenzie Astin of _Facts of Life_ fame, who is also the roommate of Dominic Monaghan [and openly gay if it makes any difference], thus further interweaving LOTR & House Addams). ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/44 "2004-08-01T18:48:03Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > And man, they had the best pinball game EVER. Hear hear. “That’s it Thing, lend a hand” ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/45 "2004-08-01T19:10:32Z")
Since this has become a John Astin appreciation thread, let’s also give him credit for his recurring role as Judge Harry’s late mother’s mental-patient boyfriend. I totally loved that character! ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/46 "2004-08-01T20:25:07Z")
> [@Master Wang-Ka](#): > > It’s worth noting that Uncle Fester was never part of the family in the Charles Addams cartoons – he was just a creepy little guy who served his own purpose in one-panel gags elsewhere. It’s also interesting — in a nerdy, pointy-headed kind of way — that Fester’s character changes from TV show to movies: in the show, he’s Morticia’s uncle (making him, most likely, a Frump), whereas in the movies he’s Gomez’s brother (making him an Addams). ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/47 "2004-08-01T20:36:23Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > I don’t think you can find a better example of _joie de vivre_ than Gomez Addams. This statement clicked with me the instant I read it. What sweet irony! A ghoul who is the best example of one who loves life. Superb observation! ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/48 "2004-08-01T20:56:11Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Since this has become a John Astin appreciation thread, let’s also give him credit for his recurring role as Judge Harry’s late mother’s mental-patient boyfriend. I totally loved that character! who it turned out was actually was Judge Harry’s father. God I have no idea why I’m putting this behind a spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/49 "2004-08-02T02:02:24Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > > [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > > > Carel “Lurch” Struycken > > For you _Twin Peaks_fans, he was the Giant. And for the Star Trek fans, he was Mr. Homn. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/50 "2004-08-02T02:14:32Z")
> [@percypercy](#): > > who it turned out was actually was Judge Harry’s father. God I have no idea why I’m putting this behind a spoiler. You forgot to mentionThat he was apparently good enough friends with Santa Claus that he got to ride in Santa’s sleigh! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/51 "2004-08-02T02:24:46Z")
And let’s not forget Astin also played Professor Wickwire, the mad-genius inventor in _The Adventures of Brisco County Jr_ alongside Bruce Campbell. Wickwire: I can get us out of this! I have a plan! I’ll need some rope, a knife, some dynamite and some cheese! Brisco: Cheese? Wickwire: I’m hungry. Now that’s class entertainment, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/52 "2004-08-02T02:25:33Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > **French!** You spoke **French**! You know what that does to me … . Perhaps you were alluding to this, perhaps not, but John Astin reprised that role and catch phrase in at least two cameo appearances in “Mad About You,” the TV series, with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/53 "2004-08-02T07:06:28Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > And for the Star Trek fans, he was Mr. Homn. Heck, if we’re going to bring Trek into it, don’t forget the original Lurch, Ted Cassidy, played “_ **That** _ was the equation” Ruk (as well as the voice of Balok) on the original Trek. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/54 "2004-08-02T07:14:12Z")
Astin was in _McMillan & Wife_ too, if I remember correctly. He played either a forensic lab technician or coroner, I don’t remember which. I do remember he was his usually funny self. ---
**Author:** ![Jenny\_Haniver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Jenny\_Haniver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenny_Haniver)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/55 "2004-08-02T14:48:47Z")
[Here’s a more recent cite](http://www.jhu.edu/~writsem/faculty03.html) for John Astin’s teaching position. He’s teaching at JHU, directs a theatre company, and occasionall tours his Poe show, which is utterly fantastic. Also, I second **Sampiro’s** impression that he’s a stand up fella. However, I have to say that Raul Julia was also a good Gomez. And I’m really glad that I’m not the only _Night Court_ fan on the boards. Of all the sitcoms in all world, why is this one not in syndication? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/56 "2004-08-02T15:15:35Z")
Damn! I totally missed the Night Court revealing that spoiler! ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/57 "2004-08-02T21:17:47Z")
> [@Jenny Haniver](#): > > And I’m really glad that I’m not the only _Night Court_ fan on the boards. Of all the sitcoms in all world, why is this one not in syndication? It is. It’s onthe same network as **Newsradio**. I think it’s the Biography network. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/58 "2004-08-02T22:14:12Z")
I quote Buddy Ryan (John Astin’s Night Court character) all the time…“but I’m much better now!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/59 "2004-08-03T03:55:08Z")
Something that may only be interesting to me but I find it worthy of note nonetheless: Astin and Patty Duke divorced (according to her auto-bio _Call Me Anna_) because just as she was going from undiagnosed/unmedicated out-of-control manic depressive to diagnosed/medicated in-control manic-depressive (she generally made his life absolute hell for most of their marriage, not that she could help it) he was undergoing a conversion from lifelong atheist existentialist to devout Buddhist and it was essentially as if two complete total strangers were suddenly sharing a home. They’re still very close (as are their new spouses). Astin has three sons from a first marriage as well, but apparently Sean is the only one of his spawn to reproduce as he mentions Sean’s kids on his web-site. (Sean has said many times that he doesn’t care whose sperm caused him, John Astin is and always will be the only man he considers his father.) Lisa Loring (Wednesday) used to do porn and was a heroin addict but cleaned up when her best friend and roommate, fellow porn-star/heroin addict Nancy Kelly (born Kelly Van Dyke- Jerry’s daughter, Dick’s niece- and the wife of John “Eraserhead” Nance [who also met a bad end]) successfully hanged herself in their apartment after several previous attempts at suicide. Does anybody remember the godawful 1970s [reunion special](http://imdb.com/title/tt0126771/)? I’m not sure if that or the _Father Know’s Best_ reunion was the first major suckarooney. Not particularly obscure trivia that I’m sure everybody already knows but I’ll mention anyway: Jackie “Uncle Fester” Coogan was the youngest self-made millionaire in history until very recently for his child star years with Chaplin and others. By the time he was a young adult he was penniless because his parents and stepparents completely spent his fortune, thus inspiring the “Jackie Coogan Laws” to stop that in the future though evidently it didn’t benefit many other child actors anymore than it did Coogan. Carolyn Jones was the ex-wife of Aaron Spelling, though judging by her house she divorced him before he was stinking rich. (Not a slum by any stretch, but far far far from a mansion.) Steve at [Find-a-death](http://findadeath.com/) has a great section on the dead Addams Family stars (pics of their houses, details of their deaths, etc.), but his site doesn’t allow a direct link- click on Directory and choose Coogan, Cassidy or Jones, etc., for the full section.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695/60 "2004-08-03T04:03:53Z")
PS- For an interesting comparison twixt an Addams Family member and a current media figure, check-out the first image on [this page](http://www.addamsfamily.com/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-addams-family-are-they-dead/257695.md?page=4)