ABC
Few classic television shows still have as strong of a hold on modern pop culture as “The Addams Family.” The original ’60s series has spawned remakes, films, a musical, and most recently Netflix’s “Wednesday,” where Jenna Ortega puts her own spin on the title character. But while many have played the roles of Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, and the rest of the family, the cast from that initial ABC series remain TV legends. Sadly, nearly all of them have passed on since the original program ended in 1966, all except one: John Astin.
Best known for playing patriarch Gomez Addams, Astin is the only surviving member of the original cast. At over 90 years old, the actor has had a long and prolific career that spans across film and television, dealing in both live-action and animation roles. In fact, he’s even had more than one return to the world of “The Addams Family,” which is still easily one of the best TV shows of the ’60s.
Astin was 34 years old when “The Addams Family” premiered on ABC in September 1964. Prior to that, his acting career began on stage, which led to a small part in the film version of “West Side Story.” Just two years before “Addams,” he had another potential big break as one of the two leads of the short-lived TV comedy “I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster.” That show only lasted one season, but it wasn’t long before Astin finally found a hit on the gothic ABC series.
John Astin has carried on strong since The Addams Family
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When “The Addams Family” left the air in 1966, Astin — who later became the adoptive father of “Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin — stayed active on television for decades. He took over for Frank Gorshin as the Riddler in several episodes of the Adam West-led “Batman” series and later landed recurring parts on “Night Gallery,” “Night Court,” and “Welcome Back, Kotter.”
Eventually, he returned to the world of “The Addams Family” in 1977, alongside most of the original cast, for the made-for-TV movie “Halloween with the New Addams Family.” When the franchise was rebooted to great success with the 1991 feature film and its sequel, “Addams Family Values” (easily one of the best movies based on a TV show), Astin reprised his role of Gomez Addams in the ensuing animated series, simply titled “The Addams Family.”
At the end of the decade, he had graduated to playing Grandpapa Addams in two episodes of the short-lived “The New Addams Family,” thus far his final contribution to the franchise. Since then, Astin has largely transitioned to vocal work, staying active well into his 90s. No supposed “Addams Family curse” can get him down.
