Where You've Seen The Cast Of The Munsters Before
When it first emerged that filmmaker and heavy metal musician Rob Zombie was working on a film version of the classic sitcom "The Munsters," fans were understandably happy. The franchise had largely remained dormant for the last few decades, but had developed into a cult hit despite the fact that it was not all that successful when it first hit CBS in 1964. Considering just how much of a fan Zombie is of the original show, it appeared as if the reboot was in good hands.
One of the first things Zombie and company revealed was the cast, building hype with a line-up of his usual collaborators and a few familiar faces from the '60s. Of course, the nature of "The Munsters" means that a lot of the actors look drastically different from how they normally would — the makeup and prosthetics disguise their appearance and make it difficult to know exactly where you might know them from. Fortunately, we've got a round-up of all the major characters to fill you in on the biggest roles the cast has had outside of Rob Zombie's monster mash.
Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman Munster
Fans of the 1964 series know Herman Munster well as the patriarch of the family and the husband of Lily. Created by Victor Frankenstein, he moved to Transylvania, where he met his wife and then relocated with the rest of his family to the U.S. The role was originated with the iconic performance of Fred Gwynne, but other actors, including Richard Long and John Schuck, have portrayed the character in later TV movies. Jeff Daniel Phillips is starring in Rob Zombie's film as Herman, with a character design that's generally very faithful to the original look (via Yahoo).
Phillips made his first movie appearance in 1991 with an uncredited role in "Son of Darkness: To Die For II," and followed that up with appearances in "Sneakers" and "Peephole." He subsequently had parts in a number of television series, including "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction," "Standoff," and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and he memorably played Tenderloin in four episodes of "Westworld." The actor is most recognizable, though, for his portrayal of a caveman in a series of Geico commercials that was later developed into an infamously unsuccessful TV sitcom called "Cavemen" (via Film School Rejects). "The Munsters" is Phillips' fifth collaboration with Zombie, following roles in "Halloween II," "The Lords of Salem," "31," and "3 from Hell."
Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily Munster
Lily Munster, played in the movie by Sheri Moon Zombie, is the matriarch of the Munster family. A vampire, she was originally played in the '60s series by the late Yvonne De Carlo, and is hundreds of years old despite her rather young appearance. In the sitcom, she was quick to anger and would frequently berate her husband Herman, even though she was also often affectionate. In the Zombie film, she appears to have an even paler complexion than De Carlo's usual blue-tinged hue, highlighting her vampiric nature.
Sheri Moon Zombie is the wife of Rob Zombie, the pair having been married since 2002 (via Today). Prior to her acting career, she worked as a model and a dancer, going on tour with her husband before they were in a relationship, according to The New York Post. She has also appeared in several of his music videos, including "Superbeast," "Feel So Numb," and "Living Dead Girl." Unsurprisingly, she's appeared in all of his feature films to date, with major roles as Michael Myers' mother in "Halloween" and its sequel, and as Baby Firefly in the trilogy of "House of 1,000 Corpses," "The Devil's Rejects," and "3 from Hell."
Daniel Roebuck as The Count
The Count is an important figure in the film, as he attempts to oppose the marriage of Herman and Lily by separating the couple. In the original series, the character was actually known as Grandpa, but he's been given a name that reflects his younger age in the film, which acts as a prequel to the show and provides an origin story for many of the family members. Daniel Roebuck is playing the irritable character — a dream come true for the longtime fan of the original series. He even told Rue Morgue that he originally thought Rob Zombie was joking when he offered him the role.
The actor's most notable film role came in "The Fugitive," where he portrayed Deputy Marshal Robert Biggs. He would later reprise the part in "U.S. Marshals" alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Robert Downey Jr. He played Jay Leno in the biographical film "The Late Shift" and had a minor role on "Lost." Like other members of the "Munsters" cast, he's previously worked with Zombie on other films, including "3 from Hell" and "Halloween." Roebuck has also voiced a number of characters in video games, ranging from "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" to "Dead Rising 3."
Cassandra Peterson as Barbara Carr
Rob Zombie's version of "The Munsters" introduces a new character, Barbara Carr, played by Cassandra Peterson. On his Instagram, Zombie describes Barbara as the best real estate agent in Mockingbird Heights. Speaking to Variety, Peterson explained that Barbara is an entirely straight character and just a normal woman without any eccentricities or supernatural twists — something that was a bit frightening for her at first, as she's not used to that type of role. In the same interview, she confirmed that she had enjoyed the experience, saying, "I had the best time with all of the actors that I was working with, and we had so much fun."
Of course, most people know Peterson as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the iconic persona she first took on in the early 1980s for a series of shows where she presented horror films. This started with "Elvira's Movie Macabre" and led to her own feature films, "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" and "Elvira's Haunted Hills." In the decades that followed, she made countless TV guest appearances as the character.
Peterson's fascination with horror started early while she was still in school, when watching Vincent Price movies prompted a desire to work in the field (via Bloody Disgusting). She also appeared as a dancer in the James Bond classic "Diamonds are Forever" and Federico Fellini's "Roma," and later voiced characters in "Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!" and "Dota: Dragon's Blood."
Sylvester McCoy as Igor
Rob Zombie revealed that Sylvester McCoy would be playing Igor in "The Munsters" back in December of 2021. Exactly what this role was at first was not clear, with the director simply describing Igor as a loyal servant who works for the Munster family. However, in an interview with Cosmic Circus, McCoy explained that he was playing a reimagined version of the bat Igor from the original sitcom. "Well, I play that bat!" he said. "But I'm not a bat, I'm a butler. I'm a batty butler. I mean a completely batty butler!
McCoy rose to prominence as a comedy performer in the "The Ken Campbell Roadshow" before moving into television with shows such as "Vision On" and "Tiswas" (via Theatre Voice). His most iconic role would come when Colin Baker left "Doctor Who" in 1987, and McCoy was chosen to replace him as the Seventh Doctor. Widely considered to be one of the best incarnations of the Doctor, McCoy got the chance to take on some surprisingly dark storylines and play the character in a way unlike his predecessors, with a more malevolent slant (via Den of Geek). More recently, he appeared in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" trilogy as Radagast the Brown.
Dee Wallace as Good Morning Transylvania Host
As part of his flurry of announcements revealing the cast of "The Munsters," Rob Zombie made an Instagram post that revealed Dee Wallace would play the host of "Good Morning Transylvania," a talk show within the film. "Transylvania's 2nd favorite morning show..." the director wrote, "soon slipping to 3rd if they don't update their format."
Wallace is a frequent collaborator of Zombie's, having appeared in a number of his movies over the years. Their projects together include "Halloween," "3 from Hell," "The Lords of Salem," and the animated superhero comedy "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto." But Wallace's legacy stretches back much further than her work with Zombie. A familiar face to horror fans, she's had roles in everything from "The Hills Have Eyes" to "Cujo." Outside of horror, she's probably best known for portraying the mother of Elliot Taylor in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," but she's also had a regular part on the Amazon series "Just Add Magic."
Richard Brake as Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang
Like many of the other characters in "The Munsters," fans first got a look at Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang in a social media post, although this time around it came from the Twitter account of actor Jeff Daniel Phillips. He posted an image showing veteran actor Richard Brake in a lab wearing an apron and safety goggles. It appears as if Wolfgang will be the local mad scientist in the movie, although he isn't based on a specific character from the original sitcom. The actor spoke out about his excitement to be included in the project on his own Twitter after the announcement.
Brake is another actor who has worked extensively with Zombie in the past, appearing in the likes of "31" and "Halloween II." Outside of his work with the director, Brake is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Joe Chill in "Batman Begins," the man responsible for killing Thomas and Martha Wayne. He also had a role on "Peaky Blinders" and was the man in the Night King make-up for two seasons of "Game of Thrones" before he was replaced by Vladimir Furdik. Brakes other career highlights include brief but memorable roles as The Chemist in the phantasmagorical cult movie "Mandy" and as Imperial officer Valin Hess in Chapter 15 of "The Mandalorian."
Jorge Garcia as Floop
As is the case with a lot of the individuals who are appearing in "The Munsters," Floop is not a character that was present in the original television series. Revealed by director Rob Zombie on Instagram, Floop is played by Jorge Garcia and is described as a friend of Herman's and an assistant to Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang. This suggests that the character will be something of an amalgamation of lab assistants from monster movies past. When Zombie confirmed that Garcia had finished shooting, he described him as "the best hunchback assistant since Marty Feldman's Igor."
Garcia made his film debut in 1997 with "Raven's Ridge," but his breakout role came in 2003 when he starred as Hector Lopez on the television sitcom "Becker." Following his 13-episode stint on that show, he was cast as fan-favorite comic relief character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes on "Lost." The role was widely acclaimed, and Garcia was nominated for a number of awards for his performance over the show's six seasons, winning an ALMA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award (via IMDb). He has since appeared on hit shows like "Once Upon a Time," "Hawaii Five-0," and "Alcatraz."
Butch Patrick as The Tin Can Man
Rob Zombie revealed on his Instagram that Butch Patrick would be portraying the robotic Tin Can Man in this new iteration on "The Munsters." The origins of the character appear to come directly from an episode of the original series, with /Film noting that Herman and Lily's son Eddie had built the robot as a science project (with Grandpa's help) in an effort to prevent the youngster from being expelled from school. As fans know well, Patrick originated the role of Eddie on the show, giving the fact that he plays the Tin Can Man extra meaning as he actually helped build him.
As well as appearing on the original '60s incarnation of "The Munsters," Patrick reprised the role for the film "Munster, Go Home!" and made a cameo in the 1996 television movie "Here Come the Munsters." The actor has since appeared in a wide array of movies and television shows, with a particular focus on horror series. Some notable examples have included "The Phantom Tollbooth" and "Hand of Death," as well as guest appearances on the likes of "The Simpsons."
Pat Priest as Transylvania Airlines Announcer
Pat Priest was confirmed to be playing the role of a Transylvania Airlines Announcer in "The Munsters" by Rob Zombie via Facebook. The actor had been part of the cast of the television series, portraying Herman and Lily's niece Marilyn Munster after replacing Beverley Owen early on in the series' run, according to Complex. What the airline announcer is clearly a brief cameo, fans will be happy to see another actor from the show as part of the movie's cast, linking the two projects together.
Priest retired from acting in the 1980s, but she continued to enjoy her "Munsters" fame with appearances at fan conventions and other events (via Collider). An edition of the Oakland Tribune revealed that she began acting in the 1950s with roles in theatrical productions such as "Bus Stop." She went on to have roles in the likes of "Easy Come, Easy Go" and "Mannix" before later having guest roles on TV shows like "Bewitched," "Death Valley Days," and "Perry Mason." Aside from a cameo as a restaurant patron in the 1995 TV movie "Here Come the Munsters," Rob Zombie's film marks her first screen acting credit since a 1976 episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
Catherine Schell as Zoya Krupp
One of the last characters revealed for "The Munsters," Rob Zombie unveiled on his official website that Catherine Schell would be playing Zoya Krupp. Little is known about the character or the role she will play in the overall story, as she's a brand new creation who was not in the original television show.
Schell was a regular on film and television screens during the 1960s and '70s. She most notably portrayed Maya on the BBC sci-fi show "Space: 1999" and had a role in "The Return of the Pink Panther" as Lady Claudine Litton. Before that, she appeared as a Bond girl in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" alongside George Lazenby and Diana Rigg.
The actor effectively retired from show business in the 1990s to run a guesthouse in France (via Collider). However, "The Munsters" is not her first foray into acting since that time. She returned for the BBC-Netflix joint venture "Dracula," playing the character of Duchess Valeria.
Fred Coury as The Raven
Although The Raven is a new and unknown entity in the narrative of "The Munsters" lore, it was announced that the character would be voiced by Fred Coury. The musician revealed that he was involved in the project on Facebook, expressing his excitement to be on board as a longtime fan of the classic show. From the images released by Coury and Zombie, it appears as if The Raven is in fact the bird inside the Munsters' clock.
Coury is not an actor by trade. He's actually best known for being the drummer in the metal band Cinderella, and has also drummed for other acts like Ozzy Osbourne (via VWMusic). More recently, he has transitioned more to composing music for television shows, including work on "The Night Shift," "LA Kings: Black & White," and "Almost Paradise." As an actor, he has appeared briefly in "The Virtual End" and "The Human Race."
Tomas Boykin as Lester
Lester Dracula is the werewolf brother of Lily Munster, who appeared in one episode of the '60s show. He's set to be played in Rob Zombie's movie by Tomas Boykin, taking on an expanded role compared to his television counterpart. It's not known whether he will share the same financial hardships that plagued the character in the series, but Zombie confirmed on his website that the role would be a funny one, with Lester aiming to make the audience "howl with laughter."
Boykin has previously appeared in "3 from Hell," portraying the character of Derek Zoom in the Zombie-directed film. He has also had a number of minor roles in films and TV series such as "I Am," "Parenthood," and "A Voodoo Possession." The actor has recently had recurring roles on both "Alibi Boys" and "The Weed Detective," with other appearances on "How to Get Away with Murder" and "Allan the Dog."
Jeremy Wheeler as Mr. Gateman
As reported by Bloody Disgusting, actor Jeremy Wheeler is playing Mr. Gateman in "The Munsters." Rob Zombie gave fans their first look at the character on Instagram, while also giving away a few details. Dressed in macabre clothing, Gateman is one of the owners and co-founders of Gateman, Goodbury, and Graves Funeral Parlor, and acts as the direct boss of Herman Munster. The director revealed that Gateman is a grim and stern man who doesn't take things lightly, ensuring that his funeral home remains the best in Mockingbird Heights. In the original series, Gateman was played by legendary actor John Carradine.
Wheeler has had just a handful of acting credits to his name since he made his television debut in 2014 as Rabbi Weiss on The History Channel's "Houdini." He was later cast as the controversial doctor Max Jacobson in Netflix's "The Crown" (via The Washington Post), and he portrayed Etienne Mussard on the 2022 series "The Fear Index." He's also had parts on the Paramount+ sci-fi show "Halo" and in the film "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris."