The Addams Family: Anjelica Huston's Unexpected Inspiration For Morticia
When it came to her interpretation of Morticia Addams for the 1991 movie version of "The Addams Family," Anjelica Huston didn't look to the TV version's family matriarch, Carolyn Jones, for inspiration, or somebody outside of that realm who was creepy, kooky, or all together ooky.
Instead, Huston's approach was based on a supermodel and actor who was married to Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger at the time. "I based Morticia on Jerry Hall. With the 'Addams Family,' everything white is black and everything good is bad, but Morticia is the most lenient, understanding, and wonderful mother," Huston told The Guardian. "I've always seen Jerry as a perfect example of motherhood. We're still friends after 40 years, so I guess she didn't think that being the inspiration for Morticia was bad."
The 1991 version of "The Addams Family" also starred the late Raul Julia as Gomez Addams, a role originated in live-action form by John Astin for the 1960s TV series. Also starring in the film was a relative newcomer, Christina Ricci, who played the mysterious and spooky couple's intense young daughter, Wednesday. Huston recalled for The Guardian how sharp Ricci was in the role: "I felt like I was playing Christina's daughter most of the time. She was incredibly informed, smart, arch, and really knew how to stare."
Since "The Addams Family" has always suited Ricci's personality, it made perfect sense that Netflix's smash "Wednesday" Addams series added the "Addams Family" icon to the cast.
Huston originally suggested another star to play Morticia
Despite the fact that Anjelica Huston fit perfectly into the role of Morticia Addams in "The Addams Family" movie, the Oscar-winning "Prizzi's Honor" actor initially thought a fellow high-profile actor would be even better for the part. "The Addams Family" director Barry Sonnenfeld and producer Scott Rudin believed otherwise.
Recalling a lunch meeting she had with the duo at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Huston recalled the conversation for The Guardian: "They said, 'We'd really like you to play Morticia Addams.' I said, 'If you don't mind me asking, why not Cher?' I don't know what possessed me to suggest another actress, but they said, 'No, we'd like you to do it.'"
The irony is, Christina Ricci played one of Cher's daughters (Winona Ryder was the other) in the hit 1990 comedy drama "Mermaids," just a year before the release of "The Addams Family." Even more ironic, Sonnenfeld said that the film's studio, Paramount, wanted Cher in the role, but he and Rudin stood by their choice.
For Huston, the decision to accept the offer to take on the iconic role came down to further exploring the dark side of her career, even though the tone of "The Addams Family" was akin to another film she had starred in. "I had very much enjoyed working with [director] Nicolas Roeg on 'The Witches' a year earlier, even though it was difficult in terms of hair and makeup, and I didn't feel like I needed to make another family-friendly film," Huston recalled for The Guardian. "But I've always had a bit of a dark side when it comes to movie choices — I make my decisions individually rather than because I think that's the way my career should be going."