5 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Addams Family’s Lurch, Ted Cassidy

When I was a kid, my older sister was a huge fan of The Addams Family. But the creepy, kooky and altogether ooky Addams family and their freaky employees scared me so badly that I could barely sit for a single minute. And to me, the scariest fellow in the Addams Family mansion was their towering, harpsichord-playing, Frankenstein-like butler Lurch, played by 6’9” former radio DJ Ted Cassidy, who was born on July 31, 1932.

With his ultra-bass voice, sunken cheeks and stoic expression, Lurch — courtesy of Cassidy’s commitment to the role — evolved from a minor cast member into one TV’s most enduring and endearing family-comedy characters. His presence helped ensure that The Addams Family remained at the forefront of pop culture even today. In time, even I grew to appreciate this bow-tied, observational fellow and his quirky personality, along with generations of loyal fans.