The “Addams Family” gang has long been a source of comfort for the kind of proud weirdos who turn heads when they talk about their love of the macabre. Despite all their talk about death, sharp instruments and methods of torture, they love in their own way. Each new incarnation of Charles Addams’ creations looks and acts in a way that highlights the strengths of the actors who portray them. John Astin’s Gomez from the 1960s TV series is a similar but very different romantic beast to Raúl Juliá’s iteration in Barry Sonnenfeld’s ’90s films. The same goes for Christina Ricci’s Wednesday in those films, compared to Jenna Ortega’s portrayal in the Netflix series “Wednesday.” Naturally, the same applies to Anjelica Huston as the sultry Morticia Addams, building on what Carolyn Jones brought to the role in the ’60s series.
The steamy romantic chemistry between Huston and Juliá, Morticia and Gomez in 1991’s “The Addams Family” and 1993’s “Addams Family Values” ensures that they are the first to come to mind when imagining these characters. Huston’s Morticia, in particular, is a soft-spoken goth with the glow of a specter you’d feel honored to be haunted by. Not to mention she’s incredibly funny, with one of my favorite jokes being her disappointed reaction to learning how “The Cat in the Hat” ends.
As for her influences, Huston based Morticia on world-famous model Jerry Hall. “With the Addams Family, everything white is black and everything good is bad, but Morticia is the most forgiving, understanding, wonderful mother,” as Huston explained (via The Guardian). “I always thought of Jerry as a perfect example of motherhood. We’re still friends after 40, so I guess she didn’t think being an inspiration to Morticia was a bad thing.”
Anjelica Huston’s Morticia Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Jerry Hall
Easily recognizable by his blonde hair, blue eyes and Texas drawl, Hall is a world-famous model who has been in the industry for decades. Her work has often appeared in the many international versions of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Elle magazines. But even though Hall has made her living as a model, like Huston, she’s also an actress with credited performances in films like “Urban Cowboy,” “Freejack” and “Vampire in Brooklyn.” Comic book fans will also recognize the Southern belle as Alicia, Jack Napier/Joker’s (Jack Nicholson) secretary, in Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster, “Batman.” Ironically, Hall worked on this film around the same time Huston was dating Nicholson.
Huston and Hall first met in the ’70s, both diving headfirst into their modeling careers, only for the former to turn more toward acting. That said, the couple still remains best friends. As for the “Addams Family” connection to all this, Hall doesn’t seem aesthetically comparable to Morticia, save for their luscious locks. But it’s easy to see how Hall’s maternal instincts ended up influencing the heart of Huston’s performance. Morticia is a great mother who legitimately takes care of her children, especially when they play with sharp instruments. Even when Pubert (Kaitlyn Hooper) begins to show signs of being a “normal” child, she still makes the effort to love him.
“The Addams Family” and “Addams Family Values” are currently streaming on Peacock and Kanopy.
