Remembering the Time Lurch from ‘The Addams Family’ Became a Teen Idol Sensation

Before Hot Topic turned male melancholy into mall culture and before emo bands were testing society’s definition of masculinity, there was Lurch.

Believe it or not, Ted Cassidy, who played the grimacing butler in the 1960s sitcom The Addams Family, was once deemed a teen idol, receiving scores of fan mail from adoring worshippers who preferred their gentlemen callers to be tall, dark, and quiet.

Cassidy began in showbiz as a radio DJ before transitioning into acting, where his towering 6 ft. 9 in. frame made him a natural fit for character roles. Despite his size, the hulking thespian made it a rule never to bring up his height to producers ahead of a meeting.

“I never mention my size when I’m after a job in show business,” said Cassidy. “I figure, I want to get a role on my ability, not my size. And anyway, after the director or producer see me, he remembers what I look like, anyway.”

Everett Collection

When he got his iconic role in The Addams Family, not many people realized that throughout the run of the show, he often played the dual role of both Lurch and Thing. “You should try acting with only one hand sometime. Great discipline. I think my basketball playing was my best background I could have had for the job.” He was also a gifted pianist, though he feigned playing the harpsichord.

Whether it was his deep baritone voice, his bowl-esque haircut, or his dark-circled eyes, Cassidy soon began receiving heaps of fan mail. With the female attention came the teen magazines, where he was featured alongside Davy Jones and Paul McCartney.

Richard R. Hewett / TV Guide /Courtesy Everett Collection

As a result of his dazzling effect on the teenage population, the writers of The Addams Family created the episode “Lurch, the Teenage Idol,” proving that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

Airing in May 1965 as Episode 33 of Season 1, the story followed Lurch as he became an overnight pop star after one of his harpsichord recordings was released to the public. At first, he reveled in the female attention, but quickly discovered the downside when swarms of frenzied teens mobbed him, tearing his clothing to shreds when he left the house. By the end, he decided he preferred the quiet life of a butler.

Following the release of this episode, Cassidy released a single with Capitol Records titled “The Lurch”, written by Gary S. Paxton. Paired with a dance, Cassidy performed the song on September 11, 1965, on Shivaree!, and again later that year on October 31 (!!!) on the dance show Shindig!

After two seasons, The Addams Family was canceled, leaving Cassidy free to pursue new roles and interests. Still, he continued to appear as Lurch in TV commercials, several Scooby-Doo specials, a 1970s Addams Family TV movie, and even a cameo on the 1960s Batman series.