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See Pugsley From "The Addams Family" Movies Now at 41

Former child star Jimmy Workman walked away from acting years ago.

Get ready to have The Addams Family theme song in your head all day, because it's time for an update on one of the main cast members from the live-action movies of the 1990s. In 1991, Jimmy Workman starred in The Addams Family as Pugsley, son of Morticia (Anjelica Huston) and Gomez (Raul Julia) and younger brother of Wednesday (Christina Ricci). He reprised the role for the 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values.

Pugsley was Workman's first role, and his career as an actor continued on until his early 20s. But, these days, he's no longer performing and instead works behind the scenes. Read on to find out more about the former child actor's life today at 41.

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He was cast as Pugsley at his sister's audition.

Jimmy and Shanelle Workman at a screening of "The Addams Family" in 1991
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

In a 2018 interview about The Addams Family, director Barry Sonnenfeld shared that Workman was cast as Pugsley when he tagged along to older sister Shanelle Workman's audition for the film.

"We found our Pugsley when he came to the auditions with his sister who was trying out for Wednesday Addams," the filmmaker told The Guardian. "We spotted him in the waiting room."

Shanelle of course lost out on the part of Wednesday to Christina Ricci, and it became one of the roles she's most associated with.

He kept acting until the early 2000s.

Jimmy Workman at An Evening at the Net Benefit in 1993
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Image

In addition to the two Addams Family movies, Workman appeared in the movies Christmas in Connecticut, As Good as It Gets, and The Biggest Fan. He also voiced a character on the TV series Life with Louie and made cameos on two episodes of Saturday Night Live. He stopped acting in his early twenties, and his last role was in To Kill a Mockumentary in 2004.

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He has a famous younger sister.

Jimmy Workman at the 2019 New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival
Bobby Bank/Getty Images

Workman comes from an acting family. Shanelle has played recurring roles on the soap operas One Life to Live and The Bold and the Beautiful, and she's also appeared in episodes of ER, Grey's Anatomy, and Rizzoli & Isles.

His younger sister is Ariel Winter (née Ariel Winter Workman), who starred on all 11 seasons of Modern Family as Alex Dunphy. Winter is also known for her voice roles, particularly for playing the main character in the Disney Junior series Sofia the First.

He now works behind the scenes.

Jimmy Workman at The Hollywood Show in April 2022
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

While he no longer takes on acting jobs, Workman is still in the entertainment industry. He is credited as the transportation coordinator on several projects, including Ringside, The Standoff, Ingobernable, and SuperHigh. He was also a driver on 2009's Star Trek and for the 2017 movie Suburbicon. And he connects with fans of his two most famous movies by representing The Addams Family at conventions.

Lia Beck
Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Read more
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