John Astin
Acting · Directing
Born March 30, 1930, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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 standing at a height of 5' 11" (1.8 m) was born March 30, 1930 (Aries), in Baltimore, MD as John Allen Astin to Allen V. Astin and Margaret Astin with a brother Alexander Astin. He is an American actor, voice actor and director. He attended Washington, Jefferson College and Johns Hopkins University where he studied mathematics. However he discovered a passion for the theater and began performing in minor plays and doing voice-over work for commercials. Married Suzanne Hahn on March 26, 1956, had 3 sons: David Aston (born 1953), Allen J. Astin (born March 23, 1961) and Thomas E. Astin (born March 19, 1965), then divorced June 14, 1972. He first got noticed in a small role in West Side Story (1961), then appeared in several other films, That Touch of Mink (1962), Move Over Darling (1963), before being cast as "Gomez Addams". While "The Addams Family (1964–1966)" 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), reprising the role in the television film Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) and dual roles in National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985), Teen Wolf Too (1987) and The Frighteners (1996). Married Patty Duke on August 5, 1972, had 2 sons: Mackenzie Astin (born May 12, 1973) and adopted Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971), when he was 3 years old, then divorced November 3, 1985. Roughly four years later, he married Valerie Ann Sandobal on March 19, 1989 and is still presently married. He has since lent his comedic talents to numerous appearances as "Dr. Gangreen" in several corny "Killer Tomato" movies, and has contributed his voice to recreate "Gomez Addams" in the animated series The Addams Family (1992), and then played "Grandpa Addams" in the short-lived TV series The New Addams Family (1998). In addition, Astin has contributed voices to several animated shows, and is still active (1957-present) regularly appearing in films. Currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland with current wife. Astin was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his directorial debut, the comedic short Prelude (1968).
Filmography
- 2026Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence — Prof. Mortimer Gangreen
- Justice League Action — Uncle Dudley (voice)
- 2005Betaville — President Sender
- 2005School of Life — Norman Warner
- As Told by Ginger — Dave Bishop (voice)
- Becker — Richard Wilson
- The Hughleys — Mr. Crump
- The New Addams Family — Grandpapa Addams
- The Wild Thornberrys — The Great Bangaboo (voice)
- Recess — Supt. Skinner (voice)
- Quack Pack — Mr. Roborson (voice)
- 1996The Frighteners — The Judge
- 1995Harrison Bergeron — Golf Announcer
- Pinky and the Brain
- The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat — (voice)
- Aladdin — Sydney (voice)
- Burke's Law — Alexander the Great
- Duckman — Terry Duke Tetzloff (voice)
- 1994Huck and the King of Hearts — Zach
- Rebel Highway — Minuteman (Fred)
- 1994Runaway Daughters — Fred
- 1994The Silence of the Hams — The Ranger
- Problem Child — Additional Voices (voice)
- 1993Stepmonster — Minister
- The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. — Prof. Albert Wickwire
- The Nanny — Dr. Roberts
- 1992Killer Tomatoes Eat France! — Prof. Mortimer Gangreen
- Mad About You — John Astin
- The Addams Family — Gomez Addams (voice)
- Eerie, Indiana — Radford
- 1991Killer Tomatoes Strike Back! — Jeronahew/Prof. Gangreen
- Step by Step — George Humphries
- Taz-Mania — Bull Gator (voice)
- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes — Dr. Gangreen (voice)
- 1990Gremlins 2: The New Batch — Janitor
- They Came from Outer Space — Neville Nessen
- 1989Night Life — Verlin Flanders
- Tales from the Crypt — Nelson Halliwell
- 1989The Saint: The Blue Dulac — George Lafosse
- 1988Mystery Magical Special — John Astin
- 1988Return of the Killer Tomatoes! — Prof. Gangreen
- 1987Teen Wolf Too — Dean Dunn
- The Charmings
- 1986Body Slam — Scotty
- 1986Mr. Boogedy — Neil Witherspoon
- Mary — Ed LaSalle
- 1985National Lampoon's European Vacation — Kent
- Otherworld — Akin
- Charles in Charge — Uncle Joe
- Murder, She Wrote — Harry Pierce, Fritz Randall, Ross Hayley, Director
- Night Court — Kenny, Buddy Ryan
- Riptide — Baxter Bernard
- Just Our Luck — Director
- St. Elsewhere — Kevin
- Mr. Merlin — Director
- Simon & Simon
- The Facts of Life
- Diff'rent Strokes
- Fantasy Island — Charles Preston
- CHiPs — Director
- 1977Halloween with the New Addams Family — Gomez Addams
- Lanigan's Rabbi — Director
- Operation Petticoat — Lt. Commander Matthew Sherman
- 1977Rosetti and Ryan: Men Who Love Women — Director
- The Love Boat — David Crothers, Michael Sawyer
- 1976Freaky Friday — Bill Andrews
- The Bob Crane Show
- 1975The Dream Makers — Manny Wheeler
- Welcome Back, Kotter
- 1974Hard Day at Blue Nose — Greenburg
- 1974Only with Married Men — Dr. Harvey Osterman
- Police Woman — Donny
- 1974Skyway to Death — Andrew Tustin
- 1973Brothers O'Toole — Michael O'Toole
- Police Story
- 1972Every Little Crook and Nanny — Vito Garbugli
- 1972Evil Roy Slade — Evil Roy Slade
- 1972Get to Know Your Rabbit — Mr. Turnbull
- Ghost Story — Fred Colby
- 1972Scooby-Doo Meets The Addams Family — Gomez Addams (Voice)
- Temperatures Rising — Russo
- The New Scooby-Doo Movies — Gomez Addams (voice)
- 1972Wacky Taxi — Pepper, Director
- 1971Bunny O'Hare — Ad O'Hare
- McMillan & Wife — Sykes, Director
- 1971Two on a Bench — Dr. Stanley Remington
- Night Gallery — Munsch, Randy Miller, Jonathan (segment "Pamela's Voice"), Director
- The Odd Couple — Beau Biffingham
- The Partridge Family — Millionaire Sidney Rose
- Love, American Style — Alfred, Charlie Mancini
- 1969Viva Max! — Sergeant Valdez
- 1968Candy — T.M. Christian / Jack Christian
- 1968Prelude — Director, Producer, Writer
- The Doris Day Show — Jim Keatley
- He & She — Dr. Melvin Krillman
- The Flying Nun
- 1967The Spirit Is Willing — Dr. Frieden
- Batman — The Riddler
- CBS Playhouse — Perry Clark
- Hey Landlord!
- Occasional Wife
- The Pruitts of Southampton — Rudy Pruitt
- The Wild Wild West
- The Addams Family — Gomez Addams
- 1963Move Over, Darling — Clyde Prokey
- The Greatest Show on Earth — Bartley
- 1963The Wheeler Dealers — Hector Vanson
- 1962Billy Rose's Jumbo — Pilot
- I'm Dickens, He's Fenster — Harry Dickens
- 1962Period of Adjustment — Smoky Anderson (uncredited)
- 1962That Touch of Mink — Mr. Everett Beasley
- The Virginian — Slick Driscoll
- 87th Precinct — Cassidy
- Ben Casey
- Hazel — Hal Gordon
- The Asphalt Jungle
- 1961West Side Story — Glad Hand (uncredited)
- Checkmate — Jim Poole
- Outlaws
- Peter Loves Mary — Joe
- Route 66 — Gas Attendant, Benson
- 1960The Pusher — Detective
- Dennis the Menace
- The Twilight Zone — Charlie
- 77 Sunset Strip — Martin Grosch
- The Donna Reed Show
- 1958The Kiss — Male Necker
- Maverick — Joe Lambert
- 1957The Night America Trembled — Reporter
- Gunsmoke — Hard-Luck Henry Haggen
Appearances as themselves (9)
- 2023Screaming Soup Presents: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Retrospective — Self
- 1998The Making of 'The Frighteners' — Self
- 1992The Addams Family Album — Self / Gomez Addams (archive footage)
- 1991Halloween Monster Bash — Self
- 1989Friend to Friend: Armenian Earthquake Relief — Self
- 1987Harry Anderson's Sideshow — Self
- 1974The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute — Self
- The Danny Kaye Show — Self
- The Mike Douglas Show — Self