Ted Cassidy

Ted Cassidy
Jackie Coogan and Cassidy (right) on The Addams Family
Born	Theodore Crawford Cassidy (1932-07-31)July 31, 1932 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	January 16, 1979(1979-01-16) (aged 46) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Complications following heart surgery
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	Stetson University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1964–1979
Height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Spouse(s)	Margaret Helen Jesse (m.1956–1975, divorced)
Children	1 son, 1 daughter

Theodore Crawford "Ted" Cassidy (July 31, 1932 – January 16, 1979) was an American actor. Noted for his tall stature at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), and his deep bass voice. He tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction series such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie, and is best known for the role of Lurch on The Addams Family in the mid-1960s. He is also known for voicing The Hulk.

Cassidy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but raised in Philippi, West Virginia. In his youth, Cassidy was an academically gifted individual and attended third grade at age six. During his freshman year of high school, at age 11, Cassidy was on the football and basketball teams. Despite this, he was a frequent target of bullying by his much older peers, having already reached a height of 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) by then.

After graduating from high school, Cassidy attended West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, where he was a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. He transferred to Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, where he played college basketball for the Hatters and was active in the student government.