John Astin

Acting

John Astin

Born 1930-03-30 · 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).

Acting credits

West Side Story poster
7.2

In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.

West Side Story

1961

Gremlins 2: The New Batch poster
6.5

Young sweethearts Billy and Kate move to the Big Apple, land jobs in a high-tech office park and soon reunite with the friendly and lovable Gizmo. But a series of accidents creates a whole new generation of Gremlins. The situation worsens when the devilish green creatures invade a top-secret laboratory and develop genetically altered powers, making them even harder to destroy!

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

1990

The Frighteners poster
7.0

Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.

The Frighteners

1996

Candy poster
5.1

A high school girl encounters a variety of kookie characters and humorous sexual situations while searching for the meaning of life.

Candy

1968

Teen Wolf Too poster
4.2

Although awkward college student Todd Howard is particularly adept at science, he's paying for school with an athletic scholarship that he will lose should he not fare well in an upcoming boxing tournament. Luckily for Todd, he has inherited the same family curse that once turned his cousin into a werewolf. As he transforms into the hairy, fanged, howling monster, he finds both his physical agility and his popularity skyrocketing -- but at what cost?

Teen Wolf Too

1987

National Lampoon's European Vacation poster
6.2

The Griswolds win a vacation to Europe on a game show, and so pack their bags for the continent. They do their best to catch the flavor of Europe, but they just don't know how to be be good tourists. Besides, they have trouble taking holidays in countries where they CAN speak the language.

National Lampoon's European Vacation

1985

Freaky Friday poster
6.1

School girl Annabel is hassled by her mother, and Mrs. Andrews is annoyed with her daughter, Annabel. They both think that the other has an easy life. On a normal Friday morning, both complain about each other and wish they could have the easy life of their daughter/mother for just one day and their wishes come true as a bit of magic puts Annabel in Mrs. Andrews' body and vice versa. They both have a Freaky Friday.

Freaky Friday

1976

Mr. Boogedy poster
6.3

A novelty-salesman moves his family into a new house. Initially dismissing incidents as more of their father's practical jokes, the family soon learns that the house is haunted by people who lived in the house 300 years previously.

Mr. Boogedy

1986

The Silence of the Hams poster
4.9

Rookie FBI agent Jo Dee Foster has been assigned to work on the case of the Psycho Killer, a psycho killer who has psycho-killed over 120 people. But to learn more about his target, he's forced to meet Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza, a famous doctor turned cannibal who ate pizzas with human body parts. Meanwhile, Jo's girlfriend, Jane Wine, has just stolen $400,000 in cash from her money-hungry boss, Mr. Laurel, so she and Jo can be happy, but gets lost in a horrible storm and stops at the Cemetery Motel, where the owner, Antonio Motel, is dominated by his insane mother.

The Silence of the Hams

1994

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence poster
NR

"Jurassic Park" meets "Dr. Strangelove". It's a reprise and fifth feature spin of the 1978 Cult Classic "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," the franchise that went from 80s midnight screenings to help launch the Fox Children's TV Network.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence

2026

The Dream Makers poster
7.0

A college president becomes the president of a record company, and finds himself enmeshed in a payola scandal.

The Dream Makers

1975

That Touch of Mink poster
6.5

Cathy Timberlake is en route to a job interview when a car transporting businessman Philip Shayne covers her in mud. He sends his assistant, Roger, to apologize, but upon meeting Cathy, Roger knows that she would be a suitable match for his boss. Despite their mutual attraction, Cathy and Philip want different things. Philip wants a fling, while Cathy wants a marriage. As they travel to exotic locales, their differing motivations are put to the test.

That Touch of Mink

1962

Return of the Killer Tomatoes! poster
5.6

Crazy old Professor Gangreen has developed a way to make tomatoes look human for a second invasion.

Return of the Killer Tomatoes!

1988

Move Over, Darling poster
6.7

Three years into their loving marriage, with two infant daughters at home in Los Angeles, Nicholas Arden and Ellen Wagstaff Arden are on a plane that goes down in the South Pacific. Although most passengers manage to survive the incident, Ellen presumably perishes when swept off her lifeboat, her body never recovered. Fast forward five years. Nicholas, wanting to move on with his life, has Ellen declared legally dead. Part of that moving on includes getting remarried, this time to a young woman named Bianca Steele, who, for their honeymoon, he plans to take to the same Monterrey resort where he and Ellen spent their honeymoon. On that very same day, Ellen is dropped off in Los Angeles by the Navy, who rescued her from the South Pacific island where she was stranded for the past five years. She asks the Navy not to publicize her rescue nor notify Nicholas as she wants to do so herself.

Move Over, Darling

1963

School of Life poster
6.4

At Fallbrook Middle School, the annual student-elected Teacher of the Year award is held. And every year for the last 43 years Norman Warner or most fondly called Stormin' Norman Warner has won the award. Now that he has died, the burden of carrying the legacy falls into the hands of Matt Warner, the son of the late Norman Warner who has always lived in the shadow of his father.

School of Life

2005

Stepmonster poster
4.5

Todd Dougherty has an imagination driven by comic books. So when he accuses his soon-to-be stepmother of being a monster, no one believes him. When neighbors start turning up dead, it becomes a race against time for Todd to stop this hideous, carnivorous creature from marrying his dad and ruining his life.

Stepmonster

1993

Billy Rose's Jumbo poster
6.0

The daughter of a circus owner fights to save her father from a takeover spearheaded by the man she loves.

Billy Rose's Jumbo

1962

Huck and the King of Hearts poster
6.3

Taking place in the 1990's, Huck and his card shark friend, Jim, travel from California to Nevada searching for Huck's long-lost grandpa. Along the way, a deceived card player chases the two across the states with his two, less intelligent, sidekicks.

Huck and the King of Hearts

1994

Night Life poster
5.5

Archie works part-time at his uncle's mortuary and is harassed by a few of the popular kids because of it. His harassers die in an automobile accident, and the bodies are taken to his uncle's mortuary. Archie is pulling a late night at the mortuary when he sees a storm brewing. Lightening strikes! They're alive! The preppie bullies continue to torment him...as zombies!

Night Life

1989

The Wheeler Dealers poster
6.3

Henry J. Tyroon leaves Texas, where his oil wells are drying up, and arrives in New York with a lot of oil money to play with in the stock market. He meets stock analyst Molly Thatcher, who tries to ignore the lavish attention he spends on her but, in the end, she falls for his charm.

The Wheeler Dealers

1963

Body Slam poster
5.1

M. Harry Smilac is a down-on-his-luck music manager who is having a hard time attracting talent and booking gigs for his band, Kicks (The most recent of the gigs is a Dairy Queen opening!!). When making arrangements for a campaign fund-raiser, he mistakes Rick Roberts, a professional wrestler, for a musician and hires him. At that moment he becomes a wrestling manager and starts to book matches for him and his teammate Tonga Tom. The team is a success, and Harry decides to take his wrestlers and his band on a "Rock n' Wrestling" tour. The tour is a success, and Harry feels what it is like to be a winner again.

Body Slam

1986

Harrison Bergeron poster
6.8

"All men are not created equal. It is the purpose of the Government to make them so." This is the premise of the Showtime film adaption of Kurt Vonnegut's futuristic short story Harrison Bergeron. The film centers around a young man (Harrison) who is smarter than his peers, and is not affected by the usual "Handicapping" which is used to train all Americans so everyone is of equal intelligence.

Harrison Bergeron

1995

Friend to Friend: Armenian Earthquake Relief poster
NR

Over one hundred of Hollywood's glittering stars came together to record a musical tribute to the survivors of earthquake ravaged Armenia. Directed by world renowned Peter Bogdanovich, and beautifully photographed by Academy Award winning cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs, this very special one hour show narrated by Robert Stack is not to be missed! Bogdanovich brings together footage and interviews from the recording session, footage of Armenia before and after the earthquake, information on Armenian history and culture, and a piece on the Armenian Genocide.

Friend to Friend: Armenian Earthquake Relief

1989

Viva Max! poster
5.4

In order to prove his greatness to his unimpressed girlfriend, Mexican general Max takes a group of men across the border and recaptures the Alamo - international hijinks ensue!

Viva Max!

1969

Behind the camera