Leading up to the release of Wednesday on Netflix, fans of the original Addams family movies took issue with the casting of Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams. The show, starring Jenna Ortega, was released on Netflix on November 23, but much of its controversy centered around the titular character's father, Gomez Addams, who is played by Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán in just a few of the episodes. With Guzmán's announcement of the role, many diehard fans had a problem with Guzmán's appearance compared to previous actors who have portrayed Gomez in the past, primarily Raul Julia, who was in the 90s films.
The Addams family has always been depicted by a unique cast of obscurely shaped, semi-morbid characters for the dark comedy that fans have come to love over the near last century. But in the 90s, The Addams Family was wildly successful due to the popular films The Addams Family and The Addams Family Values, where Raul Julia and Angelica Houston portrayed Gomez and Morticia Adams as a highly passionate and conventionally attractive couple. When Guzmán was cast in the role for Wednesday, however, many saw him as unfit aesthetically to play Gomez, as he would appear more short and stout, compared to 90s Gomez, especially opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia.
Luis Guzmán Is A Great Gomez Addams On Wednesday
The original 1938 creation of The Addams family, drawn by cartoonist Charles Addams for the New Yorker, showed Gomez as a wide, aristocratic man who stands shorter than his much taller, thinner-framed wife. Guzmán did a perfect job accurately depicting Addams' original idea for the character. Much of the controversy surrounding Gomez Addams on Wednesday followed the initial announcement of Guzmán's casting before the show was even released. However, Guzmán proved an excellent choice for the role, making Gomez his own in his portrayal.
What skeptics neglected to consider before watching Wednesday is what makes Gomez so great in the first place. Despite the hilariously macabre interests Gomez Addams has, he is endearing in his intense love for his wife and the rest of his family. His naive optimism in times of adversity makes him a fan favorite in every iteration. Guzmán does not shy away from those traits in Wednesday, which makes any controversy leading up to his casting as Gomez Addams completely unwarranted now that the show has been released to acclaim.
How Luis Guzmán's Gomez Compares To Raul Julia's Version
In the 1991 dark comedy film, The Addams Family, Gomez Addams is depicted by Raul Julia. Although The Addam's family maintains their signature morbid identity, dark clothes, and obliviousness to how other people view them, Julia's Gomez is always seen as the most spirited and loyal of the clan. Julia's version of Gomez is high energy, sometimes even giddy, for death and dangerous hobbies as a counter to his monotone wife, Morticia. In Wednesday, Luis Guzmán's Gomez maintains the fiercely loyal personality of Gomez Addams, but he is less high energy than the film's portrayal. Gomez remains optimistic and highly interested in unorthodox hobbies but with a more laid-back demeanor. Guzmán's Gomez is also fiercely passionate towards his wife but has a relatively nonchalant enthusiasm, much like the rest of his family. Either way, The controversy around Luis Guzmán as Gomez leading up to Wednesday was ridiculous, as he maintains what makes Gomez Addams special to lifelong fans.