Cousin Itt is a diminutive, hirsute being, his visible form composed entirely of floor-length hair, often accompanied by a bowler hat and sunglasses, and he speaks in high-pitched gibberish that is understood only by other family members. As he was created specifically for the television series, illustrations of the character by cartoonist Charles Addams followed the show's debut, first in a single-panel sketch showing Itt on the telephone, and later in family-portrait artwork.
Appearances
Television
Cousin Itt is introduced in the television series as the cousin of family patriarch Gomez Addams. He is an occasional guest in the Addams' home, entering and exiting through the chimney, though he has his own quarters that are furnished in proportion to his size. The character's role in the series is his vainly attempting a multitude of professions such as an actor, a singer, a marriage counselor, and a zoo curator, while his physical appearance is the subject of one episode in which he begins losing his hair. Cousin Itt appeared in 19 total episodes of the original series and was played by Felix Silla, except for his last two appearances in which he was played by Roger Arroyo. Silla attended a casting call in Los Angeles and was given the role on the spot without having to audition. The character's heavy costume was first constructed with real hair but later changed to a fire-retardant synthetic, as smoking on the set was common and therefore presented a fire hazard. Silla's instructions were simply to walk around on the set, as Itt's voice was dubbed in post-production, but he often had difficulty seeing through the costume during shooting. The character appears with the other family members in a September 23, 1972 crossover episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, titled "Wednesday Is Missing". He was voiced by John Stephenson, who returned to the role in the 1973 Hanna-Barberaanimated series. In the 1992 animated series, Itt is depicted as a carefree bachelor who is often seen in the company of female companions. He is also a secret agent that is often targeted by the Spy Twins.
Film
In the 1991 feature filmThe Addams Family, Cousin Itt has a minor role in which he becomes infatuated with Margaret Alford, the mistreated wife of the Addamses' crooked lawyer Tully Alford, when he meets her at a party and asks her to dance. By the end of the film, Margaret remarried Cousin Itt sometime after Tully and Abigail Craven are defeated and buried alive. They are shown to still be together in Addams Family Values and are the parents of a miniature version of It named "What." The three of them alongside their nanny Dementia attend Pubert Addams' first birthday party. In the 1998 direct-to-video filmAddams Family Reunion, Itt is pursued by a mutant dog invented by Uncle Fester that feeds on human hair. Cousin Itt appears in the 2019 animated film voiced by Snoop Dogg. He is portrayed as being smaller in this incarnation than in any other, being shorter than Pugsley. Cousin Itt arrives at Pugsley's Mazurka alongside the rest of the Addams Family's relatives.
Legacy
Two plant species native to eastern Australia, Casuarina glauca and Acacia cognata, both have had cultivar developed called "Cousin Itt" due to their short size and shaggy appearance.
