John Astin | |
|---|---|
 Astin in a 1977 publicity photo forOperation Petticoat | |
| Born | John Allen Astin (1930-03-30)March 30, 1930 (age 95) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1954–2021 |
| Television | |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5, includingSean andMackenzie |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Alexander Astin (brother) |
| Signature | |
 | |
John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles, primarily in character roles. He is widely known for his role as patriarchGomez Addams inThe Addams Family (1964–1966), reprising the role in thetelevision filmHalloween with the New Addams Family (1977) and the animated seriesThe Addams Family (1992–1993).
Astin starred in the TV filmEvil Roy Slade (1972). Other notable film roles includeWest Side Story (1961),That Touch of Mink (1962),Move Over, Darling (1963),Freaky Friday (1976),National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985),Teen Wolf Too (1987) andThe Frighteners (1996). Astin was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his directorial debut, the comedic shortPrelude (1968).[1]
Astin has been married three times. His second wife was actressPatty Duke, and Astin is the adoptive father of Duke's son, actorSean Astin.
Astin was born inBaltimore, Maryland, to Margaret Linnie (née Mackenzie) andAllen Varley Astin, a physicist, who was the director of the National Bureau of Standards (now theNational Institute of Standards and Technology). At that time, Astin and his family resided on Battery Lane in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated fromJohns Hopkins University in 1952, after transferring fromWashington & Jefferson College. He studiedmathematics at Washington & Jefferson and then drama at Johns Hopkins; he was a member of thePhi Kappa Psi fraternity at Johns Hopkins.[2][3][4]
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Astin started his performing career in theater, making his firstBroadway appearance as an understudy inMajor Barbara (1954) and also did voice-over work for commercials. He appeared as "Ready-Money Matt" in the long-running off-Broadway production ofThreepenny Opera (which began in 1954), starringLotte Lenya.[5] His first big film break came with a small role inWest Side Story (1961).
During this period, his talent for also playing comedy was spotted by actorTony Randall,[6] leading to guest starring roles on thesitcomDennis the Menace, starringJay North;The Donna Reed Show; andHarrigan and Son, starringPat O'Brien, the first show broadcast onCBS and the latter two shows broadcast onABC. In 1961, Astin appeared in the final episode of the ABCpolice dramaThe Asphalt Jungle. On April 7, 1961 he played the role of Charlie in theTwilight Zone episode, "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" which starredCliff Robertson.
During the 1962–63 television season, Astin had his first lead in a television series, the ABC sitcomI'm Dickens, He's Fenster, co-starring withMarty Ingels. Astin played Harry Dickens to Ingels's Arch Fenster, as two trouble-prone carpenters. The series combined witty dialogue with moments ofslapstick comedy.I'm Dickens, He's Fenster received critical raves, but was against two high-rated shows,Sing Along with Mitch onNBC andRoute 66 onCBS. By the timeI'm Dickens, He's Fenster gained a following and started winning its time slot, ABC had already canceled the show. A total of 32 episodes were produced.
Astin is widely known forThe Addams Family, a popular sitcom that ran on ABC from 1964 to 1966, based on cartoons created byCharles Addams. Astin starred as Gomez Addams, the head of the macabre family. He later reprised the role of Gomez in the 1977 made-for-television filmHalloween with the New Addams Family and voiced the role of Gomez in the animated seriesThe Addams Family from 1992 to 1993. In the Canadian-American television seriesThe New Addams Family, which ran from 1998 to 1999, Astin appeared as Grandpapa Addams, with the role of Gomez played byGlenn Taranto. With the death ofLisa Loring, who played Wednesday, as of January 2023, Astin is the last surviving cast member ofThe Addams Family.[7][8][9]
Astin joined the retooledThe Pruitts of Southampton (re-titledThe Phyllis Diller Show) for the second half of the 1966–67 season, playing Diller's brother-in-law, Angus Pruitt. He also played theRiddler in the second season ofBatman (Frank Gorshin returned for the third and final season.)[10]
Astin played submarine commander Matthew Sherman on the 1970s television seriesOperation Petticoat. He also made several appearances in the first two seasons of the popular mystery seriesMurder, She Wrote, as scheming real estate developer (and finally Sheriff) Harry Pierce, who ends up as the murderer in his last episode. He had a recurring role on the sitcomNight Court as Buddy, eccentric former mental patient and the father of lead character Harry Stone, who often ended his conversations with a big smile and the phrase,"...but I'm feeling MUCH better now!"
Astin played the regular role of Ed LaSalle on the short-livedMary Tyler Moore sitcomMary during the 1985–86 television season. He also guest starred on numerous television series, including appearances onDuckman,Homeboys in Outer Space,Jack Palance's ABC circus dramaThe Greatest Show on Earth, and a 1967 episode ofGunsmoke as Festus Haggen's cousin Henry.
Astin received an Academy Award nomination forPrelude, a short film that he wrote, produced, and directed. He was nominated for an Ace Award for his work onTales from the Crypt, and received an Emmy Award nomination for the cartoon voice of Gomez on ABC-TV'sThe Addams Family. He also voiced the character Bull Gator on the animated seriesTaz-Mania. Astin served for four years on the board of directors of theWriters Guild of America, and has been active in community affairs in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
Astin has continued to work in acting, appearing in a string ofKiller Tomatoes films as Professor Gangreen and as Professor Wickwire inThe Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.. In 1996 he featured as The Judge, the ghost of an Old West gunslinger, inPeter Jackson'sThe Frighteners. He also has toured the one-man playEdgar Allan Poe: Once Upon a Midnight, written by Paul Day Clemens and Ron Magid. In a December 2007Baltimore Examiner interview, Astin said of his acting experience:
We all struggle, and I had plenty of that, but I've had a great time. I've done hundreds of TV shows and 30 to 40 movies, and I love acting. I'm very happy having done the Poe. That's been really terrific.
Astin is a member of the board of directors of theColumbia Center for Theatrical Arts inColumbia, Maryland.[11][12]
Until his retirement in 2021, Astin was director of the Theater Arts and Studies Department and Homewood Professor of the Arts at Johns Hopkins University, his alma mater, which offers an undergraduate minor program.[13] Commenting on his dual career, he said in 2007, "I don't know one major university that has a known actor teaching every day." Astin noted that he is one of only a handful to earn a drama degree from Hopkins. He taught at Hopkins from 2001 until 2021.[14]Devika Bhise has been working with the university to create "The Astin Fund", an endowed chair that would allow theater to be a major at Johns Hopkins University for undergraduates.
Astin has five children; three (David, Allen, and Ashley) with his first wife, Suzanne Hahn, and two with his second wife, actressPatty Duke – one adopted (Sean, Patty's son from an earlier relationship, whom Astin adopted during their marriage) and one biological (Mackenzie).
Astin married Valerie Ann Sandobal in 1989, and they live inBaltimore,Maryland. Astin is avegetarian.[15] He practicesNichiren Buddhism as a member of the worldwide Buddhist associationSoka Gakkai International.[16]
Astin's film and television roles include:[17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Pusher | Detective | ||
| 1961 | West Side Story | Glad Hand, Social Worker Leading Dance |
| [18] |
| 1962 | That Touch of Mink | Mr. Everett Beasley | ||
| 1963 | Move Over, Darling | Clyde Prokey |
| [19] |
| The Wheeler Dealers | SEC official | Released asSeparate Beds in the UK | [20] | |
| 1967 | The Spirit Is Willing | Dr. Frieden | ||
| 1968 | Candy | Daddy / Uncle Jack |
| [21][22][23] |
| 1969 | Viva Max! | Sergeant Valdez | Comedy film | |
| 1971 | Bunny O'Hare | Ad |
| [24][25] |
| 1972 | Un secuestro de locura | Star |
| |
| Evil Roy Slade | Evil Roy Slade | |||
| Get to Know Your Rabbit | Mr. Turnbull | |||
| Every Little Crook and Nanny | Vito Garbugli | |||
| Wacky Taxi | Pepper | |||
| 1973 | The Brothers O'Toole | Michael O'Toole / Desperate Ambrose Littleberry |
| |
| 1976 | Freaky Friday | Bill Andrews | Americanfantasycomedy film directed byGary Nelson. | |
| 1985 | National Lampoon's European Vacation | Kent Winkdale (host of "Pig in a Poke") |
| |
| 1987 | Teen Wolf Too | Dean Dunn |
| |
| Body Slam | Scotty the car dealer | American comedy film directed byHal Needham. | ||
| 1988 | Return of the Killer Tomatoes | Professor Mortimer Gangreen |
| |
| 1989 | Night Life | Uncle Verlin | A horror comedy film | |
| 1990 | Gremlins 2: The New Batch | Janitor | [26] | |
| Killer Tomatoes Strike Back | Professor Mortimer Gangreen | The third film in theAttack of the Killer Tomatoes film series. | ||
| 1991 | Killer Tomatoes Eat France | Professor Mortimer Gangreen | The fourth film in theAttack of the Killer Tomatoes film series. | |
| 1993 | Stepmonster | Minister | Direct-to-video film | |
| 1994 | The Silence of the Hams | The Ranger |
| [27][28][29] |
| Huck and the King of Hearts | Zach | |||
| 1996 | The Frighteners | The Judge | New Zealand-Americanhorror comedyfantasy film directed byPeter Jackson and co-written withFran Walsh. | [30] |
| 2001 | Betaville | President Sender | ||
| 2006 | What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole | Dr. Quantum | Voice | |
| 2015 | Starship II: Rendezvous with Ramses | Professor Peabody |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Maverick | Joe Lambert | Episode: "The Town That Wasn't There" (S 4:Ep 3) | |
| 1961 | The Twilight Zone | Charlie | Episode: "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" (S 2:Ep 23) | |
| 1962 | 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964 TV series) | Martin Grosch | Episode: "Dress Rehearsal" (S4:Ep36) air: 05/25/1962 | |
| 1962 | Ben Casey | Nat Morris | Episode: "Preferably, the Less-Used Arm" (S 1:Ep 29) | |
| 1962–1963 | I'm Dickens, He's Fenster | Harry Dickens | Main role | |
| 1964–1966 | The Addams Family | Gomez Addams | Main role | |
| 1967 | The Pruitts of Southampton | Rudy Pruitt |
| [31] |
| Batman | TheRiddler | 2 episodes | ||
| The Wild Wild West | Count Nikolai Sazanov | Episode: "The Night of the Tartar" | ||
| The Flying Nun | Father Lundigan | Episode: "Flight of the Dodo Bird" | ||
| Gunsmoke | Henry Haggen | Episode: "Hard Luck Henry" (S 13:Ep 7) | ||
| 1968 | Death Valley Days | Jesse Martin | Episode: "The Gold Mine on Main Street" (S 16: Ep 20) | |
| 1969 | Bonanza | Abner Willoughby | Episode: "Abner Willoughby's return" (S 11:Ep 13) | |
| 1971 | The Odd Couple | Beau Buffingham | Episode: "Oscar's New Life" (S 1:Ep 21) | |
| 1971–1972 | Night Gallery | Jonathan, Randy Miller, Munsch | 3 episodes | |
| 1972–1978 | Insight | Guest star | 4 episodes | |
| 1972 | The New Scooby-Doo Movies | Gomez Addams | Voice, episode: "Wednesday Is Missing" (S 1:Ep 3) | |
| 1972–1973 | McMillan & Wife | Sykes | 3 episodes | |
| 1973 | The Partridge Family | Sydney Rose | Episode: "The Mad Millionaire" | |
| Circle of Fear | Fred Colby | Episode: "The Graveyard Shift" | ||
| 1974 | Only with Married Men | Dr. Harvey Osterman | Television film | |
| 1975 | The Dream Makers | Manny Wheeler | Television film | |
| 1975– 1979 | Welcome Back, Kotter | Museum curator | Recurring role | |
| 1976 | Police Story | Dr. Milford | Episode: "Firebird" (S 3:Ep 18) | |
| 1977 | Halloween with the New Addams Family | Gomez Addams | Television film | |
| 1977–1978 | Operation Petticoat | Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Sherman | Main role | [32][33][34] |
| 1977–1980 | Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels | Additional Voices | Recurring role | |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Dave, The Hermit | Episode: "Marooned" (S 2:Ep 1) | |
| Fantasy Island | Charles D. Preston | Episode: "The Beachcomber / The Last Whodunit" (S 2:Ep 3) | ||
| 1984 | The Facts of Life | Vito Miles | Episode: "The Summer of '84" (S 6:Ep 1) | |
| Diff'rent Strokes | C.W. | Episode: "A Haunting We Will Go" (S 7:Ep 1) | ||
| Simon & Simon | Uncle Ray Simon | Episode: "Revolution #9 1/2" (S 4:Ep 12) | ||
| 1984–1990 | Night Court | Buddy Ryan, Kenny | Recurring role | |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote | Ross Hayley, Harry Pierce, Fritz Randall | 5 episodes | |
| 1985–1986 | Mary | Ed LaSalle | Main role | |
| 1985 | Riptide | Baxter Bernard | Episode: "Baxter and Boz" (S 2:Ep 13) | |
| Otherworld | Akin | Episode: "Mansion of the Beast" (S 1:Ep 7) | ||
| 1986 | Mr. Boogedy | Neil Witherspoon | Television film | [35] |
| 1987 | St. Elsewhere | Kevin | Episode: "Visiting Daze" (S 5:Ep 14) | |
| The Charmings | Jack/The Devil | Episode: "The Witch is of Van Oaks" (S 2:Ep 3) | ||
| 1987–1988 | Webster | Uncle Charles | 2 episodes | |
| 1988 | Charles in Charge | Uncle Joe | Episode: "Pickle King of New York" (S 3:Ep 14) | |
| 1989 | The Saint: The Blue Dulac | George Lafosse | Television filme | |
| 1990 | Attack of the Killer Tomatoes | Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen | Voice, main role[36] | |
| 1991 | Eerie Indiana | Radford | Recurring role | |
| Taz-Mania | Bull Gator | Voice, recurring role | ||
| Father Dowling Mysteries | Manager of Gun Club | Episode: "The Priest Killer Mystery" (S 3:Ep 16) | ||
| They Came from Outer Space | Neville Nessen | Episode: "Sex, Lies and UFOs, part 2" (S 1:Ep 20) | ||
| Tales from the Crypt | Nelson Halliwell | Episode: "Top Billing" (S 3:Ep 5) | ||
| 1992–1993 | The Addams Family | Gomez Addams | Voice, main role[36]
| |
| 1993 | The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | Professor Wickwire | 7 episodes | |
| 1993–1994 | Problem Child | General Pierre Habib-Johnson | Voice, recurring role | |
| 1994–1997 | Duckman | Terry Duke Tetzloff | Voice, recurring role | |
| 1994 | Bonkers | The Mole | Episode: "Stressed to Kill" (S 3:Ep23) | |
| Burke's Law | Alexander | Episode: "Who Killed Alexander the Great?" (S 1:Ep 6) | ||
| Mad About You | Himself | Episode: "Up All Night" (S 2:Ep 23) | ||
| Step by Step | George Humphries | Episode: "The Ice Cream Man Cometh" (S 4:Ep 9) | ||
| Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Doctor | Voice, episode: "Monstrous Make-Over / A Wing and a Scare" (S 1:Ep 4)[36] | ||
| 1994–1995 | Step by Step | George Humphries | 2 episodes | |
| Aladdin | Sydney | Voice, 2 episodes | ||
| 1995 | The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat | Additional Voices | Recurring role | |
| 1996 | The Nanny | Dr. Roberts | 2 episodes | |
| Quack Pack | Mr. Roborson | Voice, episode: "The Unusual Suspects"(S 1:Ep 15) | ||
| 1997 | Homeboys in Outer Space | Rhymer | Episode: "The Adventures of Ratman and Gerbil or, Holy Homeboys in Outer Space" (S 1:Ep 21) | |
| Johnny Bravo | Scientist 1/Blind Man | Voice, episode: "Jumbo Johnny / The Perfect Gift / Bravo, James Bravo" (S 1:Ep 10)[36] | ||
| Pinky and the Brain | Grover Whalen | Voice, episode: "Mice Don't Dance" (S 3:Ep 11)[36] | ||
| 1998–1999 | The New Addams Family | Grampapa Addams | 2 episodes | |
| 1998–1999 | Recess | Supt. Skinner, The Judge | Voice, 4 episodes | |
| 1999 | The Hughleys | Guest star | Episode: "Storm o' the Century" (S 1:Ep 17) | |
| The Wild Thornberrys | Bangaboo, Pingah | Voice, episode: "The Great Bangaboo" (S 1:Ep 17)[36] | ||
| 2000 | The Strip | Orson Bates | Episode: "I Wear My Sunglasses At Night" (S 1:Ep 9) | |
| Becker | Richard Wilson | Episode: "All the Rage" (S 2:Ep 15) | ||
| 2001 | As Told By Ginger | Dave Bishop | Voice, 2 episodes[36] | |
| 2004–2007 | Higglytown Heroes | Santa Claus | Voice, 2 episodes | |
| 2005 | School of Life | Stormin' Norman Warner | Television film | |
| 2006 | My First Time | Himself | Episode: "Something About Mary" (S 1:Ep 1) | |
| 2017 | Justice League Action | Uncle Dudley | Voice, episode: "Captain Bamboozle" (S 1:Ep 49)[36] |
