The Addams Family star Ken Weatherwax, who played the role of the pudgy son in the spooky ABC sitcom, has died at the age of 59.
Weatherwax died on Sunday, Dec. 7 after suffering a heart attack, his niece, Shanyn Vieira, announced via Facebook.
“Just want to let you know that my uncle Ken Weatherwax who played Pugsley from The Addams Family died today from a heart attack,” she shared with her followers. “So when you hear the theme song, please think of me!!!”
The former child star died in his California home, according to TMZ, and there are two funerals planned — one for the family, and one for fans.
Weatherwax’s role of Pugsley, the quiet, insect-eating son of Gomez and Morticia Addams (played by John Astin and Carolyn Jones) was much loved by fans of the campy sitcom.
The actor, who was born in Los Angeles, also appeared in toothpaste commercials and on a 1964 episode of Wagon Train. After tyring out and failing to win other acting roles following his high profile Pugsley role, a young Weatherwax ended up in the army.
“Frankly, I didn’t deal with it very well,” he told Bill O’Reilly in an interview in 2008, explaining he felt he suffered from typecasting. “I was kicked out of like six or seven schools and went into the service at the age of 17. I did kind of draw a lot of fire from that.”
In 1977 he returned to his starring role, playing Pugsley Sr. in a 1977 Halloween Addams Family movie for NBC. He is survived by a brother, neice, and nephew.
