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"Uncle Fester is incorrigible and, except for the good nature of the family and the ignorance of the police, would ordinarily be under lock and key... the eyes are pig-like and deeply embedded... he likes to fish, but usually employs dynamite... he keeps falcons on the roof which he uses for hunting... his one costume, summer and winter, is a black great coat with an enormous collar... he is fat with pudgy little hands and feet."
-Charles Addams

Uncle Fester was derived from a character drawn by cartoonist Charles Addams, although these were single-page cartoons with no story development or character names. The name "Fester" was chosen by Addams for the sitcom.

Biography[]

Uncle Fester is recognizable in a number of cartoons, both by his appearance and behavior, like turning the shower to a special "scalding" setting, feeding his garden plants blood plasma, or releasing an eagle on the neighbor's homing pigeons. However, he is almost never in the same cartoons with the rest of the family, even for family celebrations like pouring boiling oil on carolers, though he was in one cartoon with the two children—going fishing with dynamite.

Uncle Fester has a strange ability to conduct electricity. He would often demonstrate this by putting a light bulb in his mouth, which would illuminate, accompanied by a loud, crackling noise (in the TV series, the bulb's wire is sometimes clearly visible). He claims to possess 110 watts of power in one episode of the sitcom, while in another episode he demonstrated his "magnetic" quality by levitating a metal paperweight up to his hand. When struck directly on the head by a fired cannonball, he appears only mildly dazed, while the cannonball literally bounces off his head. In one drawing by Charles Addams, Morticia is shown growing flowers from his head.

He also often appears to suffer from a severe migraine that can only be relieved by putting his head in a screw press and tightening it to levels that normal people would not be able to withstand. Other times, he seems to do it for mere fun.

In the original 1960s sitcom, Uncle Fester is said to be Morticia Addams' maternal uncle, but in all other filmed and animated content, he is Gomez Addams' older brother, making him uncle to Wednesday and Pugsley. He is the eldest son of Grandmama.

He is known as "Tío Fétido" in Spain and "Tío Lucas" in Spanish-speaking countries. In Brazil, he has two names: "Tio Chico" (original series and cartoon) and "Tio Funéreo" (movies).

The Original Addams Family series[]

In the 1960s television series, Uncle Fester (played by Jackie Coogan) is Morticia's uncle. In one episode, he became perplexed when asked his last name, suggesting that he has none or has somehow forgotten it. In several episodes, Uncle Fester refers to the Addams lineage as if it were his own, but the flashbacks in the episodes "Morticia's Romance, Parts 1 and 2" clearly establish him as Morticia's uncle (though it remains ambiguous on whether he's a maternal or a paternal uncle). In various episodes, he was a partner in typical sitcom schemes with Gomez, Morticia, or Grandmama, indicating no real preference for any family member over others.

Uncle Fester's known ancestry dates back to his great-grandfather, Blob (not to be confused with Gomez's Cousin Blob, a two-headed ghost), who received the gift of a sacred ruby after he had pried it from the head of a Hindu (to whom it was giving a terrible headache). The ruby remained in the family until Fester unthinkingly used his slingshot to hurl it at a yowling stray cat. "It was the only rock in the house!" he said in his defense.

Per the 1960s sitcom, little is known of Uncle Fester's childhood, save that his father (Grandpa Droop, Morticia's maternal grandfather) was an excruciatingly strict man who severely disciplined him, paddling him even when he was good and paying him to stay out of public (Uncle Fester considered this to be experience in "public relations"). He refused to allow Fester to even touch a battleaxe (a treasured toy among people with the Addamses' macabre tastes) until he was eight. As an adult, Uncle Fester defended his father's strictness, pointing to his own character as proof of its effectiveness: "I didn't become what I am by accident! I had upbringing like no other!"

Uncle Fester has also offered contradictory information about his educational background. In the sitcom's first episode, he notes that he never went to school ("And look how well I turned out!"), but he later claims to have failed recess three times. After becoming an adult, Uncle Fester took correspondence courses in various subjects, and his educational endeavors occasionally formed an episode's main plot. It may have been from one such course that he obtained his fraternity paddle, which he once threatened to use on Wednesday in imitation of his father's punishment style; however, like many an uncle, Uncle Fester proved to have more bark than bite in dealing with the children. When he suspects someone of maligning, cheating, or otherwise mistreating anyone in the family, Uncle Fester is always ready with his blunderbuss, "Genevieve," eager to "shoot 'em in the back!" However, he is far less eager to meet a malefactor in a face-to-face duel; he was briefly enthusiastic about a pistol duel with an enemy until he asked, somewhat timidly, "Does he get one too? Loaded?"

Another prized possession was his cannon, "Old Reliable," which he normally kept in his bedroom. Uncle Fester maintained a treehouse in the Addamses' yard and frequently retreated to his closet to think. In the episode "The Addams Family Meets a Beatnik," Fester received the gift of a motorcycle and often drove it through the living room, inevitably crashing it in the conservatory (several episodes used identical footage of this scenario). Uncle Fester also collects three-dollar bills.

The New Scooby-Doo Movies[]

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The Addams Family Fun-House[]

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The Addams Family (animated 1973)[]

In the first animated series by Hanna-Barbera, Jackie Coogan reprised his role as Uncle Fester.

Halloween with the New Addams Family[]

To be added

The Addams Family (1991)[]

In the 1991 movie The Addams Family, Uncle Fester (played by Christopher Lloyd) is the long-lost big brother of Gomez Addams. He was believed to have been lost in the Bermuda Triangle for twenty-five years. A grifter named Abigail Craven (Elizabeth Wilson) conspires to steal the Addams fortune using her son, Gordon, who displays an eerie resemblance to the missing Uncle Fester. On the night that the Addamses hold a seance to contact Uncle Fester's spirit, Gordon shows up at their door, posing as Uncle Fester. Although he is baffled and horrified by the Addamses at first, Gordon begins to take a liking to the family and their eccentric ways. In the end, he disobeys his mother and helps Gomez and his family get their house back. It is later discovered that Gordon Craven is actually Uncle Fester, and that Abigail found him after his accident in the Bermuda Triangle, suffering from amnesia.

In Gomez's home movies from their childhood, Uncle Fester is hairless as a child (although, as Gordon Craven, he is seen shaving his head). At the end of the movie, it is revealed that Uncle Fester acquired his ability to conduct electricity after being electrocuted by lightning.

In a 2012 interview, Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of the Addams Family movie, stated that he originally intended that it be unclear whether Fester really was an impostor or not, but all the other actors rebelled and chose ten-year-old Christina Ricci to speak on their behalf, who "gave this really impassioned plea that Fester shouldn't be an impostor... so we ended up totally changing that plot point to make the actors happy." And they were right; it was the better way to go."

The Addams Family (animated 1992)[]

In the second animated series by Hanna-Barbera, Uncle Fester was voiced by Rip Taylor. In this series, Uncle Fester is perhaps the most loving of self-inflicted injuries. He would allow other members, usually Lurch, to harm him anyway they could, but his greatest fondness was blowing himself up. Uncle Fester and Granny don't get along. As a running gag, Uncle Fester would never believe Granny Frump's predictions until she predicted something that caused him great harm, or in his case, great joy. Uncle Fester is also very fond of the Addamses' next-door neighbor, Norman Normanmeyer, a boring person controlling an underwear empire who hates the Addams family for their strangeness, and on occasion, Uncle Fester comes to visit Norman's family through the sewer pipes. Uncle Fester seems quite oblivious to the fact that Norman hates him and, possibly due to the Addams family nature, thinks that all the angry, aggressive outbreaks are a sign of sympathy. Uncle Fester also has a self-made comic book called "Festerman", a gothic hero with a weakness for chimneys who gives his flying cape to enemies upon request so as to fall and would bring villains to their knees simply by enjoying all the harm they would give him to the point of wearing them out. During this series, he is given a musical-type episode about the "Fester Way", his own strange way of life.

​​Addams Family Values[]

Fester also appears in the film's sequel (again played by Lloyd), Addams Family Values. This film centers around Uncle Fester's marriage to Debbie, the recently hired nanny who wishes to murder Uncle Fester and inherit his share of the Addams fortune.

Addams Family Reunion[]

Fester again appears in the direct-to-video film Addams Family Reunion, here played by Patrick Thomas. He is portrayed as a mad scientist, reminiscent of old B-grade horror films. He creates a dog named "Butcher" as a birthday present for Pugsley, a dog that mutates into a hair-devouring brute whenever someone says "good boy." At the end, Butcher attacks Cousin Itt, who is, understandably, quite nervous around him.

The New Addams Family series[]

The 1998 live-action series continues the later tradition of having Uncle Fester (played by Michael Roberds) as Gomez's biological brother, yet between this version and the 1960s series, this is the only visible difference.

The Addams Family: A New Musical[]

The role of Uncle Fester is considered a supporting role in the 2010 Broadway production of The Addams Family: A New Musical. The role was originated by Kevin Chamberlin. He acts as the narrator and helps Wednesday find love because he won't let their ghostly ancestors go back to their graves until love prevails.

The Addams Family (2019)[]

The 2019 animated film opens with Morticia on her wedding night to Gomez Addams, and Uncle Fester is one of many members of the Addams family to be in attendance. However, the ceremony is ruined by an angry mob of people who see the Addams family as freaks. Grandmama buys Uncle Fester time to evacuate Gomez, Morticia, and Thing.

Thirteen years later, he is called in early by Gomez to help a struggling Pugsley with the complicated traditions and pressure of his Caber Mazurka. He is the constant target of his nephew's explosives.

Later, when Margaux has been exposed for what she really is and her show is taken off the air, she wonders who will buy all the houses. Fester comes up with a compromise for Margaux, telling her that he has an idea for how to get rid of the houses. She has a lot of houses to get rid of, and he has a lot of family members he needs to get rid of. Eventually, the two work together, while the crowd that Margaux called on to demolish the Addams mansion decides to help rebuild it; he becomes Margaux's business partner, selling homes to the other members of the Addams clan. He is among the many members of the Addams family to be present when Pugsley finally completes his Mazurka in his own style.

Fester's underwear has yellow rubber ducks on it at Gomez and Morticia's wedding after it got ruined.

The Addams Family 2[]

Fester has a flashback of juggling newborns in a hospital's nursery, including Wednesday. It was on a Tuesday.

His underwear has black spiders on it.

Wednesday series[]

In "Chapter I: Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe", Fester was briefly mentioned by Wednesday when Tyler asked her how she knew “kung fu moves,” as Fester was the one who taught her. He taught her the fight moves he learned while he was a prisoner for five years in a Tibetan Monastery.

In "Chapter VII: If You Don't Woe Me By Now", Fester Addams pays his niece Wednesday Addams a visit, where he reveals that he is hiding from the law. He uses Eugene's beehive shed to lay low.

Description[]

He is a bald, hunched, and barrel-shaped man with dark, sunken eyes and often a deranged smile. He always wears a heavy, full-length fur coat.

Wednesday Series[]

He is seen wearing a gray wool full-length coat and a fedora. He is bald with no eyebrows and has green eyes.

Personality[]

He is very protective of his family and likes to go swimming and go on vacation. He wasn’t fooled by Cyrus’ DNA results and would only murder Cyrus to protect the family. He even likes to go on road trips with the family and has worried about Wednesday in the 2nd Addams Family animated movie since 2019.

Powers / Abilities / Weaknesses[]

Powers[]

  • Electrokinesis: Uncle Fester can generate static electricity. His ability depends on conductivity and contact with bare skin.[1]

Abilities[]

  • Martial Arts: Wednesday Addams revealed he was a former prisoner in a Tibetan monastery and credit him for teaching her kung fu moves.[2]
  • Stealth: Fester can seemingly slip in and out of areas undetected, as he did in Weathervane, or merely allowing himself to slip into the shadows to go unnoticed, as he did in Wednesday dormitory with Marilyn Thornhill coming.[3]

Weaknesses[]

To be added

Relationships[]

To be added

Quotes[]

To be added

Appearances[]

Appears In[]

TV Series[]

The Original Addams Family Series

The New Scooby-Doo Movies

The Addams Family (animated 1973)

The Addams Family (animated 1992)

The New Addams Family Series

Films and Other[]

Wednesday Series

Mentioned In[]

Wednesday Series

Etymology[]

To be added

Trivia[]

  • As revealed in a 1977 New Yorker retrospective on Charles Addams, Fester was the avatar Addams chose to represent himself.
  • In the 1965 book The Addams Family by Jack Sharkey, there is a chapter titled "From Here to Perplexity", in which Fester gets drafted. He turns the induction center upside down when they discover that, among other things, he served in the American Civil War, has orange marmalade in his veins, electronic circuitry on his skin, no fingerprints on his fingers, and he is weightless.
  • Actors Rip Taylor and Christopher Lloyd, both of whom portrayed Uncle Fester, starred together in Disney's DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990).
  • "Uncle Fester" is cockney rhyming slang for 'child molester'.
  • Uncle Fester is also the name used by a member of the nationally-syndicated radio show The MJ Morning Show.
  • In the 2019 film and its sequel his voice resembles that of late actor and comedian Gilbert Gottfried.
  • It was him who taught Wednesday about the existence of the hydes.[4]
  • Uncle Fester has not attended Nevermore Academy as a student, unlike Gomez Addams.[4]

Video Games[]

Fester has appeared in several Addams Family video games, frequently as the player character or a playable character. He is the star of his own Nintendo Entertainment System game, titled Fester's Quest, and the main playable character in the Addams Family Values Super Nintendo Entertainment System game.

External Links[]

Gallery[]

References[]

The Addams Family Main Characters
Gomez Addams | Morticia Addams | Uncle Fester | Grandmama | Wednesday Addams | Pugsley Addams | Lurch | Thing | Cousin Itt
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