Jackie Coogan

Biography

John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984), known professionally as Jackie Coogan, was an American actor who began his movie career as a child actor in silent films. Many years later, he became known as Uncle Fester on 1960s sitcom The Addams Family. In the interim, he sued his mother and stepfather over his squandered film earnings and provoked California to enact the first known legal protection for the earnings of child performers. Coogan enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor that December, he requested a transfer to Army Air Forces as a glider pilot because of his civilian flying experience. Graduating the Advanced Glider School with the Glider Pilot aeronautical rating and the rank of Flight Officer, he volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando Group. In December 1943, the unit was sent to India. He flew British troops, the Chindits, under General Orde Wingate on March 5, 1944, landing them at night in a small jungle clearing 100 miles (160 km) behind Japanese lines in the Burma Campaign. After the war, Coogan returned to acting, taking mostly character roles and appearing on television. From 1952 to 1953, he play…

Movies & TV Shows

1. The Kid (1921) — The Kid
2. I Dream of Jeannie (1965) — Suleiman
3. The Addams Family (1964) — Uncle Fester
4. The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972) — Uncle Fester (voice)
5. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) — George Bay
6. The Andy Griffith Show (1960) — George Stevens
7. The Brady Bunch (1969)
8. Hawaii Five-O (1968) — Horace Sibley
9. Cahill: United States Marshal (1973) — Charlie Smith
10. The Joker is Wild (1957) — Swifty Morgan
11. Perry Mason (1957) — Elwood P. 'Gunner' Grimes
12. A Day's Pleasure (1919) — Smallest Boy (uncredited)
13. Gunsmoke (1955) — Marshal Stoudenaire
14. Marlowe (1969) — Grant W. Hicks
15. The Wild Wild West (1965) — Mayor Cecil Pudney
16. Ironside (1967)
17. The Prey (1983) — Lester Tile
18. The Lucy Show (1962) — Lieutenant Ruggles
19. Emergency! (1972)
20. The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) — Matthew Basch
21. The Addams Family (1973) — Uncle Fester (voice)
22. Adam-12 (1968) — Harry Rustin
23. Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) — Uncle Fester
24. The Space Children (1958) — Hank Johnson
25. Family Affair (1966)
26. Mesa of Lost Women (1953) — Dr Aranya
27. The Proud Ones (1956) — Man on Make (uncredited)
28. Sherlock Holmes in New York (1976) — Haymarket Hotel Proprietor
29. The Virginian (1962) — Bodey
30. The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) — Mr. Klein
31. Alias Smith and Jones (1971)
32. The Partridge Family (1970) — Max Pepper
33. Girl Happy (1965) — Sgt. Benson
34. Here's Lucy (1968) — Kermit Bosworth
35. Nice and Friendly (1922) — Boy
36. The Real Charlie Chaplin (2021) — Self (archive footage)
37. Barnaby Jones (1973) — Phil Rooney
38. McMillan & Wife (1971)
39. 77 Sunset Strip (1958) — Baldy Mike Hannigan (uncredited)
40. Peter Gunn (1958)

Directed

1. Escape from Terror (1955) — Director