Since their inception in 1958 by cartoonist Charles Addams, the altogether kooky Addams family have become one of the world’s most culturally significant fictional families. This has only continued to grow with the latest iteration as featured on the recentrecord-breaking Netflix seriesWednesday. While Tim Burton’sWednesdayis a great place for newcomers to the franchise to be introduced to Wednesday Addams and her macabre family of ghoulish outcasts, those of us of a certain age will always have fond memories of the 1991 hit movieThe Addams Familyand its sequelThe Addams Family: Family Values.
Prior to this movie, there had been the original comic series, which ran in The New Yorker over a 50-year period, plus televisions series running both in the 60s and another in the 70s. Initially met with mixed reviews,1991’sThe Addams Familyhas amassed a strong cult following and thrust many of its actors into the limelight. Below, we take a look at what the main cast has been up to over the past two decades since the film’s initial release.
Anjelica Huston — Morticia Addams
The craft (and art) of acting is inAnjelica Huston’s blood. Following her breakthrough performance inPrizzi’s Honor(1985), also directed by her father, she became the third generation of her family to receive an Academy Award when she won Best Supporting Actress, like both John and Walter Huston before her. During the 90s, some of her most memorable roles included the part of the Grand High Witch inRoald Dahl’sThe Witchesadaptationand, of course, as Morticia Addams inThe Addams Familyand its 1993 sequelFamily Values.
Since then, Huston has worked consistently in many highly acclaimed movies, including several projects with directing auteur Wes Anderson, includingThe Royal Tenenbaums,The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, andThe Darjeeling Limited.Never one to stagnate, she has proved her versatility by appearing in a variety of roles across multiple genres, including family flicks (Daddy Day Care), crime thrillers (Buffalo ’66) and comedy (50/50). More recently, she can be seen playing The Director in 2019’sJohn Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Outside of movies, Huston has also appeared in a number of TV series, including prominent roles inHuff, MediumandTransparent.
Related:The Addams Family: Every Version of the Comedy Horror Story, Ranked
Raul Julia — Gomez Addams
Puerto Rican-bornRaul Juliawas already a highly accomplished actor in his own right, having been acting in movies since the early-70s, before landing the role of Gomez Addams, the suave and doting patriarch of the macabre Addams Family. Following the movie’s release in 1991, Julia only appeared in two theatrically released movies before his untimely death in 1994. One of these was the sequel, with the others being the dark dramaThe Plaguealongside William Hurt and Robert Duvall, and opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme inStreet Fighter,which was released posthumously.
Christopher Lloyd — Uncle Fester
Christopher Lloydis one of Hollywood’s most respected character actors, who is probably best known for his role as the eccentric Doc Brown in theBack to the Futurefranchise. Like most of the main cast, Lloyd returned forFamily Values. He has continued to appear in many films, and continues to do so to this day at the ripe old age of 84. Often appearing as eccentric or even unhinged characters, he made memorable appearances in the likes of the bloody splatter festsPiranha 3Dand3DD, the Bob Odenkirk-led action rompNobody, and the Robert Rodriguez stylish noir-thrillerSin City: A Dame to Kill For. Possessing a very distinctive and expressive voice, Lloyd has made somewhat of a name for himself as a prolific voice actor, having voiced characters inAnastasia,The Tale of Despereaux,Hey Arnold!: The Movie, and evenThe Simpsons, to name a few.
Christina Ricci — Wednesday Addams
At just 11 years of age,Christina Ricciabsolutely nailed the role of Wednesday, delivering every monotonal quip and emotionless glare with utter conviction, so much so, in fact, it led to her being somewhat typecast for much of her career. Not that it is something that seems to bother Ricci as she has fully embraced this dark side. Following the release ofThe Addams Family, she went on to appear in the movie’s sequel, which was shortly followed by a lead role inCasper, another dark family fantasy / horror film.
As an adult, Ricci continued to receive critical acclaim as he she began to demonstrate more dramatic acting abilities in the likesof Sleepy Hollow, Monster, Prozac Nation, Penelope, andBlack Snake Moan. More recently, she appeared as a supporting character in theMatrix: Revelationsand even made an appearance, to the joy of millions of fans worldwide, in the newWednesdayTV series, this time as Marilyn Thornhill, the dorm mom of Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday.
Related:Wednesday Cast: Other Roles You’ve Seen the Actors Play
Jimmy Workman — Pugsley Addams
Jimmy Workman’s major acting debut was as Pugsley, the troublemaking son in the Addams family, and he reprised his role for the sequel. However, after a number of extensivefamily legal battles, it would end up being his last major movie role. He appeared in minor roles inBlack Sheep, As Good As It Gets, andThe Biggest Fan. He is now working behind the camera as part of the technical team and even served as production assistant onStar Trek: Insurrection.
Carel Struycken — Lurch
The silent but committed butler Lurch was played byCarel Struycken, who appeared not only in the 1991 movie and its sequel, but also in the TV movieAddams Family Reunion, which saw Darryl Hannah and Tim Curry taking over the roles of Morticia and Gomez, respectfully. Struycken’s work in Hollywood is fairly limited and his true passion lies in photography. Fans of horror and Stephen King might recognize him, however, as the mysterious Moonlight Man in theGerald’s Gameadaptation or as Grandpa Flick inDoctor Strange.
