Fred Armisen plays the role of Uncle Fester in Wednesday.
Wednesday is a Netflix show by Miles Millar, Alfred Gough, and directed by Tim Burton. It premiered on November 16, 2022. The show won 4 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2023 and received Golden Globe nominations. The show follows the life of Wednesday Addams who solves the murder mysteries of Jericho.
Uncle Foster is an important character in Wednesday’s storyline. Uncle Foster is portrayed as an eccentric, goofy, and caring person. He has a small but memorable role that stands out in the series. He is the modernized version of the iconic character created by Charles Addams. Let’s take a look at the actor who plays the role of Uncle Fester.
Who plays Uncle Fester in Wednesday?
Fereydun Robert Armisen, also known as Fred Armisen, plays the role of Uncle Fester in the show. He is an American actor, musician, writer, and comedian, born on December 4, 1966, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. After dropping out of the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, he started his career as a rock drummer. In 1984, he played drums in a local band along with his school friends. In the late 1990s, his interests shifted to acting as he wanted to appear on TV. He made his TV debut with the HBO music TV show Reverb as an interviewer in 1997. He made his acting debut with the short film Guide to Music and South by Southwest in 1998.
He appeared on many late-night TV shows like Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player in 2002. In 2013, he decided to leave the show after working there for 11 years. He was the third-longest-tenured cast member of SNL. He worked in many films like Eurotrip (2004), Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), Easy A (2010), The Dictator (2012), The Smurfs film series, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), etc. He appeared on many TV shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021), Modern Family (2014), New Girl (2016), Big Mouth (2017-Present), Superstore (2019), Wednesday (2022), etc.
In 1998, Fred Armisen got married to musician Sally Timms, but they got divorced in 2004. Later, in 2009, he married actress Elisabeth Moss, but after two years, they got divorced in 2011. In 2014, he started dating actress Natasha Lyonne, but their relationship ended in April 2022. In early 2022, he started dating actress Riki Lindhome. They have been friends for 15 years. In 2024, Lindhome revealed in an interview with People that she got married to Fred Armisen on June 1, 2022. The couple welcomed a son, Keaton, via surrogacy.
Who is Uncle Fester?
Uncle Fester is the brother of Gomez Addams and uncle of Wednesday and Pugsley Addams. He appeared in episode 7 of the show, titled “If You Don't Woe Me By Now”. He has the powers of Electrokinesis. He was close to his niece Wednesday as they both were different in their family. They both were the outcasts of their family. He understood her feelings and taught her Kung Fu moves.
In the episode, he visits Wednesday in Nevermore Academy. He came to check on her after Gomez told him about the things Wednesday was investigating, such as monsters, murders, and mayhem. He informs her that the monster she is dealing with is Hyde. She asks him about Hyde since he has seen one before. He shares that she can find information about Hyde in Nathaniel Faulkner’s diary, which is kept in the Nightshades Library. They find out that Hyde is unlocked through chemical inducement or hypnosis. She figures out that there are 2 killers out there- Hyde and its master. He helps her find the real culprits.
When Wednesday went out to investigate, someone entered her room, stole the diary, and attacked Thing, who was protecting it. Thing was badly injured and Wednesday took him to Uncle Fester to save him. Uncle Fester used his Electrokinesis powers to revive Thing as he was not responding earlier. Wednesday tells her uncle to leave the town as he robbed a bank, and the police found his motorbike, and the Sheriff is after him. So, he leaves town the next morning after taking care of Thing the entire night.
On December 5, 2024, Netflix announced the cast of Wednesday Season 2. It confirmed that Uncle Fester will be reprising his role in the 2nd season.
FAQs about Uncle Fester
A. Fred Armisen plays Uncle Fester in Wednesday.
A. Uncle Fester made his guest appearance in Episode 7 of Wednesday.
A. Yes, Fred Armisen has a son named Keaton.