John Astin

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Biography

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" . In addition, Astin has contributed voices to several animated shows, and still regularly appears in films.

  • Primary profession
  • Actor·director·soundtrack
  • Country
  • United States
  • Nationality
  • American
  • Gender
  • Male
  • Birth date
  • 30 March 1930
  • Place of birth
  • Baltimore
  • Children
  • Sean Astin·Mackenzie Astin
  • Spouses
  • Patty Duke
  • Education
  • Washington & Jefferson College

Music

Movies

TV

Books

Trivia

His father, Dr. Allen Varley Astin, was the fifth Director of the National Bureau of Standards.

Has two sons with Patty Duke : Sean Astin and Mackenzie Astin. Has three sons with Suzanne Hahn : David Aston , Allen J. Astin (born March 23, 1961) and Thomas E. Astin (born March 19, 1965).

Is a vegetarian.

He and his wife Valerie are leaders of a Buddhist group in Santa Monica, California.

Grandfather of actress Ali Astin , Elizabeth Louise Astin, Isabella Louise Astin, Sedona Astin and Jaya Astin.

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

Biography in: "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 31-32. New York: Facts on File. ISBN 0816023387.

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

Is a visiting theater professor at Johns Hopkins University. His new facility is the "Old Barn", former home of Theater Hopkins, a top-scale community theater outfit. Astin won rave reviews for his portrayal of the Stage Manager in a performance of "Our Town" with Hopkins as well as for a recent portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe.

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

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 . He and Lee appeared together in Gremlins 2: The New Batch .

He and his son Sean have both appeared in films that won Best Picture, four decades apart. John had a small role in West Side Story , while Sean had a lead role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Attended Washington and Jefferson College, graduated from Johns Hopkins University and did graduate work at the University of Minnesota.

Brother of Alexander W. Astin, professor emeritus at UCLA who is considered one of the most influential scholars in the field of higher education research.

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

During a speech given at Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida, he told the crowd of students that he never has, and never will watch any of the new Addams Family films. He did not give his reasons why.

Is a huge fan of the works of Edgar Allan Poe , and studies Poes works extensively. He has regularly attended Baltimores yearly celebration of Poes birthday.

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

He along with Felix Silla (Cousin It) and Lisa Loring (Wednesday) are the surviving cast members of "The Addams Family" .

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

Has been involved with more productions of "The Addams Family" than any other actor in history. From playing the family patriarch, Gomez Addams, On "The Addams Family" , Halloween with the New Addams Family and "The Addams Family" ; the grandfather On "The New Addams Family" ; and even in a way, himself who loves and will always be associated with "The Addams Family", in films with spoofs like Il silenzio dei prosciutti .

Has played the same character (Gomez Addams) on three different series: "The Addams Family" , "The New Scooby-Doo Movies" and "The Addams Family" .

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

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.

The late Ted Cassidy played Thing on "The Addams Family" . However, when a scene required both him and Thing in the scene, Thing was played by John Astin.

Has played the Riddler, replacing Frank Gorshin , in a two-part episode of the "Batman" television series.

Was the uncredited voice of Captain John Daley in the episode "Star Trek" {The Conscience of the King (#1.13)} .

Acting mentors and friends with Lisa Loring and the late Ken Weatherwax.

Quotes

[on filming "The Addams Family" (1964) ] Sometimes it was tough,doing take after take upside down! I did a lot of that sort of thing.

I figure I basically am a ghost. I think we all are.

Poe was a student of many things, and among those things he read and,referred to in his work was the Bible.

People are transported to that space that Poe wanted to make available,to us.

I think people really want to be happy.

I love to play for audiences that are simply made of people rather than,so-called special people.

There are things so deep and complex that only intuition can reach it in,our stage of development as human beings. And to Poe. . . well, a great,logician could be an enemy to him, what he called conventional world,reason.

One life is worth the universe. Poe was able to go right into the very,depth of life and to demonstrate this.

We are running ourselves into a damaged earth. But I am optimistic. I,believe that we can change; we must change. As a human race, we are,very young and quite primitive. The sooner we learn the greatness of,humanity the better off we will all be.

The feedback that I get from my association with Gomez is heartwarming.

It is very difficult for me to take anything but a positive view of the,Gomez phenomenon.

People are smarter than you might think.

I got things like the lotus position long before anybody else did, or at,least in the mainstream. But I had fun. I guess my legs are pretty,flexible, so I used to get a kick out of doing things like that. I,would get into a full lotus with my legs and then roll around.

At a certain point he was very popular, from "The Raven". He was never,fully appreciated, never made the money, and you know he was looked,upon with admiration by some people, but also as an oddball. But that,was his point.

There was one where Gomez was on a Trapeze hanging by the legs upside,down. I remember how much the backs of my knees would hurt until I got,used to it. It was hard.

The themes Poe used were universal and timeless. As long as the English,language exists at all, we will be able to appreciate what he did. It,will not age! It will not become dated!,My background is basically scientific math. My dad was a physicist, so I,have it in my blood somewhere. Scientific method is very important to,me. I think anything that contradicts it is probably not true.

It is important to me that what Poe has to say gets across to people. I,want to give people the feeling that I get from all this. I think that,we are succeeding. The feedback is very warm.

People are smarter than you might think. .

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