Felix Silla, who played Cousin Itt in ‘The Addams Family’, dies aged 84

Silla's death was confirmed by fellow actor Gil Gerard

Actor Felix Silla, known for his portrayal as Cousin Itt on The Addams Family, has died from pancreatic cancer, aged 84.

Silla’s death was confirmed by his friend and fellow actor Gil Gerard in a tweet on Friday evening (April 16). The pair starred together in sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

“Felix died just a few hours ago and the only good I can draw from his passing is that he didn’t suffer any longer,” Gerard said. “I will miss him terribly, especially the great time we had at our panels. Just him telling me to “go ‘f’ myself”.

Earlier on, Gerard tweeted that he had been in touch with Silla and his family, who said the actor was entering hospice care.

Born in 1937, Silla was best known for his role on The Addams Family in the 1960s. The character’s voice, a series of strange noises, was provided by sound engineer Tony Magro in post-production. In playing the role, the actor donned a costume made of human hair, sunglasses and a bowler hat.

“All the guys on the set smoked. They just dropped their butts and stepped on them. The producers worried that I might step on a smouldering cigarette and go up in flames,” Silla reportedly told the Los Angeles Times in 2014. “They gave me synthetic hair, which was flame-retardant.”

Elsewhere in his career, Silla starred in Battlestar Galactica, H.R. Pufnstuf and played an Ewok in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

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