If Wednesday Addams represents the creepy, then Uncle Fester embodies everything that’s kooky. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the character will soon headline his own spinoff series, “Fester,” at Netflix. The new series, created by Al Gough and Miles Millar—with Tim Burton attached as director and executive producer—has the potential to become one of the streamer’s top titles, just like its predecessor “Wednesday.” Despite Uncle Fester appearing on only one episode of the hit series’ first season, Fred Armisen’s casting garnered praise from fans and critics alike, leading to a reported spinoff focusing on the uncle.
As the “Wednesday” spinoff enters the early stages of development, we’re here to provide insight into the casting process. This guide will not only share everything you need to know about the potential casting team but also how Armisen (and previous Uncle Festers!) transformed for the role, giving you valuable insights into the casting process.
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Little has been revealed about the premise of Netflix’s Uncle Fester spinoff, and since Gomez Addams’ bro only appeared in one episode of “Wednesday,” it’s hard to say where the series will take him. However, we know that he offered Wednesday some invaluable information when he stopped by Nevermore Academy to hide from the law. We can’t be sure why Uncle Fester was on the run, but it seems safe to say that this could be the basis for expanding his story in a spinoff series.
With Armisen set to reprise his “Wednesday” role as Uncle Fester, we wouldn’t be surprised if more Addams Family members appeared on the Netflix spinoff.
Here are just some of the names we expect to see:
- Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams/Goody Addams
- Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams
- Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams
- Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams
- Victor Dorobantu as Thing
We will continue to update this page as further casting information becomes available.
Although there are no official casting directors tied to this project at the moment, it’s likely that Gough and Millar, the creators of the series, will turn to Florina Fernandes, Sophie Holland, and John Papsidera, the team that cast “Wednesday,” for their expertise.
From casting shows like “Yellowstone” and “Lessons In Chemistry” to becoming Christopher Nolan’s go-to CD, Papsidera knows what it takes to succeed within the audition room—confidence. His previous work on these projects has shown a preference for actors who can bring a singular energy and interpretation to their roles, which could be valuable information for actors preparing for “Fester” auditions.
“An actor who approaches [the audition] with a certain amount of confidence and they do something that is not even bold or outrageous as a choice but they have a confidence is what makes it work,” he noted. “It’s a very hard thing to put my finger on, because it’s in the performance of it and in the dialogue of how you present it. It’s a vibe of somebody going, ‘I’m going to take you on this journey,’ and as an auditioner, a CD, a director participating in that, there’s a certain amount of confidence you need to take us with you. That doesn’t come in a weakness, it comes in a strength of purpose and individuality. I go, “Yes, that person can do it.” I think on some very base level it’s about confidence and how that transfers from the actor to the dialogue that you ultimately buy into.”
When Armisen heard about playing “Fester” on “Wednesday,” he was immediately drawn to the opportunity. As he shared with Netflix's Tudum, “Then when I heard what the project was, I wanted to do it even more. And when it was like, ‘Well, it’s Uncle Fester,’ it just made complete sense to me. It doesn’t happen that often, but it was a real case of, ‘Oh, I’m the guy for this. This is something that I would really love to do.’
As Armisen told Entertainment Tonight, he looked to his predecessors, particularly Christopher Lloyd and Jackie Coogan, when preparing for his turn as Uncle Fester in “Wednesday.” “I do study that [and] going back to the original TV show as well,” he said. “Just to make sure there’s some sort of momentum all the way through. I just kept the tradition of what Fester is ’cause everyone added their own little version of it.… But it’s basically, there’s one set of rules for who Fester is, I think, and I wanted to keep it at that.”
Credit: Brandon Nagy/Shutterstock
Of course, Coogan was the first man to bring the cartoon character to life in the 1960s TV version of “The Addams Family.” As he said in 1965, “Fester has a lot going for him. He’s 120 volt AC and DC, and he’s great with dynamite. His only trouble is that he’s one of the great losers of our time,” Coogan added. “He would make a great spy, but he kinda stands out in a crowd.”
Yet, while Uncle Fester was Coogan’s favorite character to play, he never understood why fans loved the character the way they did. "Fester never talked in the Addams Family cartoons," he said. “So I raised my voice an octave and gave him a beetling look. He’s my kind of people. He’s an irascible old goat, and I can’t honestly say why everyone loves him.”
Coogan’s portrayal ultimately influenced everyone who came after him. As Lloyd told BuzzFeed, “I grew up on Charles Addams’ cartoons, particularly ‘The Addams Family’ and Uncle Fester was always one of my favorites,” Lloyd shared. “Every time the magazine came in with Charles Addams’ cartoons, I’d open it up, hoping there’d be one with Uncle Fester. He just always appealed to me, his whole persona. So I was astonished when, literally decades later, I get a call to play the part.” But the role brought on its fair share of nerves despite Lloyd’s extensive experience as a comedic actor.
“I was very excited and everything, but I just didn’t see how I was going to do it because just physically what he is, this kind of roly poly with a round head. I didn’t quite see how I would be able to duplicate his appearance,” he added. “I was concerned about his voice and things like that because you don’t hear that in the comic strip. So I was very concerned about that and trying to capture the attitude of the guy as I had perceived it, looking at the cartoon.” While he and the makeup team tried out some prosthetics to make him look more like he envisioned, the studio nixed this attempt, as they believed it only hindered Lloyd’s facial expressions. And the rest, of course, if movie history.
Because “Fester” is in the earliest stages of development, there’s still no word of when filming will begin. But as you prepare, we recommend bookmarking our main casting call page, which provides info on the newest listings as they become available. We also suggest checking out our other guides for insight into getting cast in similar productions:
- How to Get Cast on ‘Wednesday’
- How to Get Cast in a Tim Burton Production
- How to Audition for Netflix
Tim Burton Credit: Katchy Hutchinson/Shutterstock
Be prepared. “It’s all about the preparation,” Holland explained. “More often than not, you’ve got great material to fall back on, so it’s all going to be in the script that you’re sent. You should really excavate those sides with care. We see really good actors every day, and very often they come in with reads that are not dissimilar from each other. Every now and then, we’ll get an actor who comes in who has really thought about it and really takes it to another level. It’s those actors who bring something exciting to the role.”
Be present. “I’m not one for a lot of rules. I’m not a big ‘don’t’ guy. It’s more about being present, making smart choices, being prepared,” Papsidera shared. “Those are things that impress me and that make a difference and separate actors from one another. If an actor makes a smart choice or an unpredictable choice in some way, the person who really thinks about the material and tries to come at it creatively rather than just saying lines is 9 times out of 10 the person that you’re going to think made a great choice. It’s going to stick out from the rest of the crowd. It seems simplistic and rudimentary, but it would shock you how many people don’t think it through. It doesn’t mean a random choice, and it doesn’t mean being outrageous. It’s about smart choices. It’s about interpreting the material and character in a certain way that nobody else thought of. Fear gets in the way of making smart choices, being present, and allowing the camera and the process to happen. It’s less about doing sometimes and more about being.”
Be yourself. “Don’t be memorable, just be you,” Holland added. “Come into the room and understand that it’s a collaboration between a casting director and the actor, and that we want to work together on something that you bring ideas to that are well thought out and well-prepared and excavated—that you’ve really thought about what you want to bring to that character. Come in, be polite, and be on time; ultimately, be ready to work. Then we’ll start to build a relationship with that actor. The thing about casting directors is that we have incredible memories,” she continued. “Four years down the line, we will remember you when something comes up, and we’ll bring you in. But actively trying to be memorable is counterproductive; you don’t want to be remembered for the wrong reasons!”