Morticia Addams

A reserved matriarch with a romantic side, known for her form-fitting black gown and low-voiced, incisive nature.

Morticia Addams, born Frump, is the reserved matriarch of the Addams Family franchise created by Charles Addams, whose first cartoon appeared in The New Yorker in 1938. Originally appearing as a silent figure in New Yorker cartoons without names or dialogue, she gained her iconic identity when adapted for television. In the streaming series Wednesday (2022), Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays this beloved character, continuing the legacy of actresses like Carolyn Jones and Anjelica Huston who defined her on screen. Morticia is celebrated as a thoughtful hostess who speaks in a low voice yet commands great range, maintaining fierce family loyalty while indulging in dark rhapsodies about her garden of deadly nightshade.

Quick Facts

Series

The Addams Family

First

The New Yorker (1938)

Creator

Charles Addams

Voice

Carolyn Jones (1972)
Janet Waldo (1973)
Nancy Linari (1992)
Charlize Theron (2019, 2021)

Spouse

Gomez (husband)

Lore & Background

Morticia's origins trace back to Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons in the late 1930s, where none of the characters had dialogue or speech bubbles. Her name was inspired by "mortician" when the 1964 television series gave the characters identities. Her personal pet is Cleopatra, a carnivorous plant—typically a Venus flytrap or similar—that she feeds hamburgers and meat, though the term "African Strangler" is not canonical. She enjoys cutting rose buds to keep only the stems and crafting sweaters with three arms.

Reader's Guide

For fans analyzing Morticia's character traits, note that her voice is never raised yet possesses great range. She is contemptuous of clichés unless used for humor. Her costume remains consistent: a form-fitting black gown, occasionally accessorized with a shawl. In the 1990s films, familial relationships shifted; Grandmama became Morticia's mother rather than Gomez's, and Fester became Gomez's brother instead of Morticia's uncle. Her sister Ophelia was also portrayed by Carolyn Jones in the original TV series. In 2009, Yahoo! included her in its Top 10 TV Moms for the 1964–1966 period, while AOL named her one of the 100 Most Memorable Female TV Characters. Her design influenced Disney's Magica De Spell and Natasha Fatale from Rocky and Bullwinkle.