TV
Long before he became Uncle Fester on 'The Addams Family," Jackie Coogan was a child star discovered by Charlie Chaplin.
Published on October 15, 2022
2 min readJackie Coogan is best known for his role as Uncle Fester on the classic TV comedy The Addams Family. For two years, he played everyone’s favorite kooky uncle. But long before his iconic role, Coogan was a famous child star.
‘The Addams Family’ actor Jackie Coogan began his career as a child star
Years before Coogan stepped into the robe of Uncle Fester on The Addams Family; he was a child star. Coogan grew up in a showbiz family; his parents, John Henry and Lillian, were vaudeville performers. At four, Coogan began working vaudeville shows with his parents. During one performance, silent film star Charlie Chaplin was in the audience and was impressed by Coogan.
According to IMDB.com, Chaplin gave Coogan a small part in his film A Day’s Pleasure. Two years later, Coogan was offered a lead role in Champlin’s next movie, The Kid. Coogan’s career took off with his next major film role in Oliver Twist, and he became the model for many merchandise items.
Throughout the 1920s, he was one of the biggest child stars. Yet, by the time he reached adulthood, his career and life had changed.
Jackie Coogan sued his parents
Like many child stars, Coogan’s life wasn’t always easy. In 1935, his father died in a car crash, and Coogan’s mother later married a man named Arthur Bernstein. Bernstein was not only Coogan’s stepfather but also his business manager.
During Coogan’s childhood, he earned an estimated $4 million. When the actor asked his parents for his money, they refused. Coogan later learned the couple had spent most of his money on luxuries like fancy cars.
In 1938, he sued his parents for the remainder of his money. Coogan won his case but, after legal expenses, walked away with $126,000. Due to the media attention surrounding the case, a new law called California Child Actor’s Bill or the Coogan Act sought to protect the financial earnings of child stars.
He was cast in ‘The Addams Family’ in 1964
When Coogan reached adulthood, he took a break from acting to join the Army. After serving in World War II, Coogan returned to acting with small roles in films like Outlaw Women and TV shows such as The Andy Griffith Show.
In 1964, Coogan landed the role that would become synonymous with his career. Coogan was cast as the quirky Uncle Fester on the ABC comedy The Addams Family. For two seasons, Coogan entertained audiences with Fester’s outrageous stunts, including sticking a light bulb in his mouth.
After the show’s cancellation in 1966, Coogan reprised his role as Fest for the 1977 TV film Halloween with the New Addams Family. The film was the last time Coogan and most of the original cast were together again.
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