Morticia Addams

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Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams in the 1960s television series

Morticia A. Addams (née Frump) is the fictional matriarch of "The Addams Family", created by cartoonist Charles Addams.

Morticia is the wife of Gomez Addams and Mother to Wednesday and Pugsley. The character originated in the Charles Addams cartoons for The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s. She was based heavily on Jess Boyle, mainly due to her quiet nature and inability to relate to normal people. In the cartoons, none of the family members had names. When the characters were adapted to the television series "The Addams Family" (1964) Charles Addams gave her the name "Morticia", implying "death" (derived from "mors mortis", the Latin word for "death"). Morticia's maiden name is "Frump" and she has an opposite sister named Ophelia. In the television series, she had a Mother named Hester Frump (played by Margaret Hamilton). Her Mother-in-Law is Grandmama Addams.

“	The real head of the family…low-voiced, incisive and subtle, smiles are rare…ruined beauty…contemptuous and original and with fierce family loyalty…even in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes deadly…given to low-keyed rhapsodies about her garden of deadly nightshade, henbane and dwarf’s hair…^[1]	”
	— Charles Addams

Morticia is described as a vamp; she has pale skin and long black hair. She commonly wears black gothic dresses to match her hair, tightly form fitting, with a hobble skirt. According to Wednesday, Morticia applies baking powder to her face instead of actual makeup. In each episode, she easily allures her husband Gomez by speaking French (or any other foreign language for that matter). Morticia is musically-inclined, and is often seen freely strumming a shamisen. She frequently enjoys cutting the buds off of roses which she discards, keeping only the stems. She also has a carnivorous plant named Cleopatra, which she enjoys feeding. Morticia also has an affinity for making certain that her family upholds the traditional Addams way, and is usually the most taken aback when one of the clan goes astray and does something "pleasant."

[edit] In other media

Anjelica Huston as Morticia in The Addams Family film (1991).

Morticia was portrayed by Carolyn Jones in the TV series of the 1960s and by Anjelica Huston in "The Addams Family" film (1991) and its sequel Addams Family Values (1993). Daryl Hannah played Morticia in the 1998 film Addams Family Reunion. Ellie Harvie played Morticia in the revival series, The New Addams Family.

v • d • e The Addams Family

Characters	Gomez Addams • Morticia Addams • Pugsley Addams • Wednesday Addams • Uncle Fester • Grandmama • Lurch • Thing • Cousin Itt

Television	The Addams Family • 1973 animated series • 1992 animated series • The New Addams Family

Films	The Addams Family (1991) • Addams Family Values (1993) • Addams Family Reunion (1998)

Games	Fester's Quest (1989) • The Addams Family (pinball) (1991) • The Addams Family (1992) • The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt (1993) • Addams Family Values (1994) • Addams Family (1994)