John Astin

Dark haired, usually mustachioed US actor with a cheeky grin who achieved pop culture status through his portrayal of the kooky patriarch "Gomez Addams" in the hit TV series The Addams Family (1964), John Astin was born March 30, 1930, in Baltimore, MD. He attended Johns Hopkins University and studied mathematics. However he discovered a passion for the theater and began performing in minor plays and doing voice-over work for commercials.

He first got noticed in a small role in West Side Story (1961), then appeared in several other films before being cast as "Gomez Addams".

Best remembered by the public for his starring role as Gomez Addams on The Addams Family (1964).

He is one of only five actors to have have played "Special Guest Villains" on Batman (1966) who are still alive, the others being Julie Newmar, Joan Collins, Glynis Johns and Barbara Rush. Of these, he is the only male.

Has appeared in three separate episodes of Night Gallery (1969). During each episode, his character was killed, and during two episodes, his character found himself in Hell. Also directed three episodes of the show.

While "The Addams Family" was initially a huge hit, its popularity petered out after two years, and Astin moved on to other work including the offbeat Bunny O'Hare (1971), playing a grizzled but not particularly bright gunfighter in the western spoof Evil Roy Slade (1972), an appearance in the Disney comedy Freaky Friday (1976) and dual roles in National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). He has since lent his comedic talents to numerous appearances as "Dr.

Has twice played father to Jodie Foster. They appeared together as father and daughter in the Disney comedy Freaky Friday (1976). On the live-action sitcom The Addams Family (1964), John plays Gomez Addams. On an animated series in the early 1970s, Jodie voiced Pugsley Addams.

Son Sean Astin is not his biological child. He is ex-wife Patty Duke's son with her ex-husband Michael Tell. Duke claimed Sean's biological father was John Astin until the two blood-tested in 1990 and this became clear that Tell was the father.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 31-32. New York: Facts on File (1992). ISBN 0816023387.

Three generations of his family have worked with director Peter Jackson. He appeared in The Frighteners (1996), while his son Sean Astin appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sean's real-life daughter, Ali Astin, played the daughter of his character in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).

Three generations of his family have worked with Christopher Lee. His son, Sean Astin, and granddaughter, Ali Astin, appeared in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). He and Lee appeared together in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).

After working as a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University, teaching acting and directing in the Department of Writing Seminars in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, became a full-time professor. In 2005, he was made the head of the theater arts program at Johns Hopkins University and created the theater arts minor, teaching an average of eight classes a year and directing student productions. In 2011, Hopkins Merrick Red Barn theater was renovated and renamed in his honor. At the reopening ceremony, he was unaware that the theater had been renamed and surprised by his sons Sean and Mackenzie Astin and friend Ed Asner during the event.

He and his wife Valerie have resided in the Tuscany-Canterbury area of Baltimore, Maryland for the past five years. [July 2007]

Following the passing of Eartha Kitt in 2008, he became the oldest surviving actor to play a main - i.e Catwoman, Joker, Penguin, Riddler - Batman villain.