# Cousin Itt
**Cousin Itt** is a fictional relative of the Addams Family: a short man completely covered by long hair, who wears dark sunglasses and a small hat and speaks a language that only the Addams family can understand. A little hairy fellow with glasses had occasionally appeared in [Charles Addams](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-addams)'s *New Yorker* comics, but the character as Cousin Itt was a development of the 1964 ABC television series, added at the suggestion of producer David Levy, and he has since appeared across the franchise's films, cartoons, stage musicals, and merchandise.[1](https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/13-kooky-facts-about-addams-family) • [2](https://www.looper.com/1138369/what-the-addams-family-cast-should-really-look-like/) • [3](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/addams-family-the)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Cousin Itt Visits the Addams Family", *The Addams Family* Season 1, Episode 20, ABC, February 5, 1965[4](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=100628&p=515&q=john) |
| Origin | Not in the original Addams cartoons; added at the suggestion of producer David Levy for the 1964 series[1](https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/13-kooky-facts-about-addams-family) |
| Appearance | Four feet tall, completely covered with blonde hair; dark sunglasses and a small hat[5](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Miscellaneous-Encyclopedias/The-Complete-Encyclopedia-of-Television-1946-1976.pdf) • [3](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/addams-family-the) |
| Speech | Gibberish-like language that only the Addams family can understand[3](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/addams-family-the) |
| Original portrayer | Felix Silla in the 1964–1966 ABC series[5](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Miscellaneous-Encyclopedias/The-Complete-Encyclopedia-of-Television-1946-1976.pdf) |
| 1990s films | John Franklin in *The Addams Family* (1991) and *Addams Family Values* (1993)[6](https://comiconomicon.com/universe/188/The_Addams_Family) |
| Most recent screen role | Phil Fondacaro in *Addams Family Reunion* (1998)[7](https://thefilmaholic.com/character/cousin-itt) |
## Origin
The Addams family began as single-panel cartoons by Charles Addams in *The New Yorker*, first published in 1938; only 58 of his roughly 1,300 cartoons for the magazine featured the unnamed family, and Cousin Itt was not one of its members.[8](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/cultural-history-addams-family-180973315/) The television program was the brainchild of producer David Levy, who saw a book of Addams's cartoons in a New York bookstore window and recognized the family's television potential.[3](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/addams-family-the) Gomez's hair-covered cousin was not in the original cartoons and was added at Levy's suggestion; Addams drew a cartoon featuring Itt to introduce the character to the magazine's regulars before the show debuted.[1](https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/13-kooky-facts-about-addams-family) Addams met with Levy during development and provided notes for each character, though he ultimately had little creative involvement.[9](https://hazlitt.net/longreads/monsters-next-door)
Under Levy's stewardship the show softened the cartoons' darker side, and it is for that reason that Cousin Itt and [Thing](https://www.edgepedia.org/thing-the-addams-family), small presences in the Addams cartoon oeuvre, were given prominent screen time on television.[8](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/cultural-history-addams-family-180973315/) When the family debuted on television in 1964, the members received their names and the roster gained Cousin It alongside Morticia's pet lion Kitty Cat and her carnivorous plant [Cleopatra](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleopatra).[10](https://www.pbs.org/video/the-addams-family-8fewuu/)
## Debut episode
Itt premiered in the Season 1 episode "Cousin Itt Visits the Addams Family", which aired on ABC on February 5, 1965, with [Felix Silla](https://www.edgepedia.org/felix-silla) in the role.[4](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=100628&p=515&q=john) • [11](https://www.tvmaze.com/characters/172237/the-addams-family-cousin-itt) The story centers on a proposal to make Itt curator of the local zoo; Gomez pulls strings with Park Commissioner Fisk (guest star [Alan Reed](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-reed)) to push Itt's candidacy, yet the zookeepers believe the Addamses' cousin belongs behind bars in a cage.[12](https://tv.apple.com/ca/episode/cousin-itt-visits-the-addams-family/umc.cmc.7jnpmutxaadsior0u44mu5lvl?showId=umc.cmc.28rplixve7mwuswc1kja4495d) The character returned in later episodes, appearing through the end of the series in 1966.[11](https://www.tvmaze.com/characters/172237/the-addams-family-cousin-itt)
## Character
Itt's defining traits have stayed consistent across adaptations: a small body completely covered by hair, dark sunglasses, a small hat, and unintelligible yet expressive speech that only the Addamses can translate.[3](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/addams-family-the) • [13](https://cousinit.org/) The television encyclopedias describe him as four feet tall and completely covered with blonde hair, while a French academic account calls him a three-foot ball of hair; both agree on the talking-hairball image.[5](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Miscellaneous-Encyclopedias/The-Complete-Encyclopedia-of-Television-1946-1976.pdf) • [14](https://journals.openedition.org/tvseries/pdf/2200) Despite his unconventional stature and hirsute appearance, Itt is written as a friendly and personable member of the family.[15](https://www.slashfilm.com/1016743/every-member-of-the-addams-family-ranked-from-normal-to-creepiest/)
His family position shifts with the version. In the 1964 series continuity, Gomez and Morticia originally both claimed Itt as a relative, and a flashback revealed that he had dated Morticia's sister Ophelia for a while.[16](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/cousin-itt/4005-86472/) In the 1993 film *Addams Family Values*, he is paired with Margaret Alford Addams and introduces "What", a miniature version of himself.[17](https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/tv/cousin-itt/) • [18](https://www.slashfilm.com/1092062/the-addams-family-tree-explained/)
## Portrayals
The role has been filled by a different performer in each era:
- **Felix Silla** played Itt in the original 1964–1966 ABC series.[5](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Miscellaneous-Encyclopedias/The-Complete-Encyclopedia-of-Television-1946-1976.pdf)
- **Roger Arroyo** portrayed him in *The Addams Family Fun-House*; John Stephenson voiced him in *The New Scooby-Doo Movies*; and Felix Silla portrayed him in *Halloween with the New Addams Family* (1977).[19](https://addamsfamily.fandom.com/wiki/Cousin_Itt) • [27](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-new-scooby-doo-movies/cast/1030274794/)
- **[John Franklin](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-franklin-actor)** played him in *The Addams Family* (1991) and *Addams Family Values* (1993); the 1991 film's script describes Cousin It driving up in his bubble-topped car.[6](https://comiconomicon.com/universe/188/The_Addams_Family) • [20](https://8flix.com/assets/unsorted/0-a/The-Addams-Family-1991-by-Larry-Wilson-Caroline-Thompson.pdf)
- **David Faustino** played Cousin Itt in *[The New Addams Family](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-new-addams-family)* (1998–1999).[6](https://comiconomicon.com/universe/188/The_Addams_Family)
- **Phil Fondacaro** took the role in the 1998 direct-to-video film *[Addams Family Reunion](https://www.edgepedia.org/addams-family-reunion)*, the character's most recent on-screen appearance by that account.[7](https://thefilmaholic.com/character/cousin-itt)
- **Snoop Dogg** voiced Itt, credited as "Cousin It" with a single t, in the animated films, delivering a rousing concert performance in rhyme.[21](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-addams-family-2-movie-review-2021) • [22](https://www.santamariasun.com/downloads/SUN_20.33_10.17.19.pdf)
In *The Addams Family* stage musical, the costume calls for a brown tunic dress with head mantle, black sunglasses, and a derby hat.[23](https://atoztheatrical.com/docs/ShowPackages/AddamsFamily.pdf) The spelling varies in popular usage: "Cousin Itt" with two t's is the more common official spelling, while the credits of the animated films use "Cousin It" with one; the double-t does not change the pronunciation.[13](https://cousinit.org/) • [21](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-addams-family-2-movie-review-2021)
## In Wednesday
Cousin Itt has not been directly seen in Netflix's *Wednesday*. The series mentions Cousin Ignatius Itt, and a painting depicting his hairy characteristics is the character's only visual presence there so far.[24](https://twinfinite.net/guides/complete-addams-family-family-tree/) [Jenna Ortega](https://www.edgepedia.org/jenna-ortega), who plays Wednesday, named Cousin Itt when asked which previously unseen Addams Family character she would like to see in the series, although Netflix's Season 2 cast guide did not confirm an appearance.[25](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/which-addams-family-character-did-jenna-ortega-want-in-wednesday-season-2/) Commentators count Itt, a fan favorite created for the 1964 sitcom, as a top candidate among the several notable franchise characters who remain absent across the show's first two seasons, leaving room for future appearances in season three.[26](https://www.newsminimalist.com/articles/8-addams-family-members-still-missing-from-netflixs-wednesday-0be712ad)
## References
1. [13 Kooky Facts About The Addams Family, Mental Floss](https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/13-kooky-facts-about-addams-family)
2. [What The Addams Family Cast Should Really Look Like, Looper](https://www.looper.com/1138369/what-the-addams-family-cast-should-really-look-like/)
3. [Addams Family, The, Television Academy Interviews](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/addams-family-the)
4. [ADDAMS FAMILY, THE: COUSIN ITT VISITS THE ADDAMS FAMILY (TV), The Paley Center for Media](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=100628&p=515&q=john)
5. [The Complete Encyclopedia of Television 1946–1976](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Miscellaneous-Encyclopedias/The-Complete-Encyclopedia-of-Television-1946-1976.pdf)
6. [The Addams Family Actor and Crew Appearances, Comiconomicon](https://comiconomicon.com/universe/188/The_Addams_Family)
7. [Cousin Itt Watch Guide, The Filmaholic](https://thefilmaholic.com/character/cousin-itt)
8. [The Cultural History of 'The Addams Family', Smithsonian Magazine](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/cultural-history-addams-family-180973315/)
9. [The Monsters Next Door, Hazlitt](https://hazlitt.net/longreads/monsters-next-door)
10. [Saturday Night at the Movies | The Addams Family, PBS](https://www.pbs.org/video/the-addams-family-8fewuu/)
11. [Cousin Itt - The Addams Family, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/characters/172237/the-addams-family-cousin-itt)
12. [Cousin Itt Visits The Addams Family, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/ca/episode/cousin-itt-visits-the-addams-family/umc.cmc.7jnpmutxaadsior0u44mu5lvl?showId=umc.cmc.28rplixve7mwuswc1kja4495d)
13. [Cousin It Guide: History, Voice, Costumes & Legacy, CousinIt.org](https://cousinit.org/)
14. [Littérature et séries télévisées, Tv/Series (OpenEdition)](https://journals.openedition.org/tvseries/pdf/2200)
15. [Every Member Of The Addams Family Ranked From Normal To Creepiest, SlashFilm](https://www.slashfilm.com/1016743/every-member-of-the-addams-family-ranked-from-normal-to-creepiest/)
16. [Cousin Itt (Character), Comic Vine](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/cousin-itt/4005-86472/)
17. [Cousin Itt, Alternate Memories](https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/tv/cousin-itt/)
18. [The Addams Family Tree Explained, SlashFilm](https://www.slashfilm.com/1092062/the-addams-family-tree-explained/)
19. [Cousin Itt, Addams Family Wiki (Fandom)](https://addamsfamily.fandom.com/wiki/Cousin_Itt)
20. [The Addams Family (1991) screenplay, 8flix](https://8flix.com/assets/unsorted/0-a/The-Addams-Family-1991-by-Larry-Wilson-Caroline-Thompson.pdf)
21. [The Addams Family 2 movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-addams-family-2-movie-review-2021)
22. [What's it, Santa Maria Sun](https://www.santamariasun.com/downloads/SUN_20.33_10.17.19.pdf)
23. [Addams Family Show Package, A to Z Theatrical](https://atoztheatrical.com/docs/ShowPackages/AddamsFamily.pdf)
24. [Here's the Complete Addams Family Tree, Twinfinite](https://twinfinite.net/guides/complete-addams-family-family-tree/)
25. [Jenna Ortega Wanted Cousin Itt in Wednesday Season 2, DocumentaryTube](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/which-addams-family-character-did-jenna-ortega-want-in-wednesday-season-2/)
26. [8 Addams Family Members Still Missing From Netflix's Wednesday, News Minimalist](https://www.newsminimalist.com/articles/8-addams-family-members-still-missing-from-netflixs-wednesday-0be712ad)
27. [The New Scooby-Doo Movies - Full Cast & Crew - TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-new-scooby-doo-movies/cast/1030274794/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Fictional worlds and series reference apparatus › Fictional universes, characters, and attribute reference › Individual fictional characters (comics, film, television, and novels) › Film, television, and novel characters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license