The following is a list of recurring characters in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...

'' and other related projects. The Munsters Cast 1964

The Munsters

The Munsters' pets

* Igor - Grandpa's pet

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

. In the

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

, film, Igor (portrayed by

Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the lon ...

) was originally a servant of the Count before he was turned into a bat so that he can travel to North America with them. * Spot - A large fire-breathing reptile, whose lair is under the stairs. Spot chases cars, and sometimes catches them. When he leaves his lair, only his tail can usually be seen on screen. In the 13th episode of Season 2, "Underground Munster", Spot runs away and is mistaken for a dangerous monster when he is sighted in the sewer. Herman goes down the manhole to search for Spot but is also mistaken for a dangerous monster. In "The Munsters Today," Spot's presence in the show is usually depicted by his fire breath emerging from the entrance to his lair. Also in the show, Spot's tail was shown in a redesigned form. In the 2022 film, Spot was shown to be smaller and was found in the French sewers by Herman and Lily. * Charlie the Raven (voiced by Mel Blanc and by Bob Hastings in the TV series, Fred Coury in the 2022 film) - A raven who lives in the Munsters'

cuckoo clock A cuckoo clock is, typically, a pendulum clock that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo call and has an automated cuckoo bird that moves with each note. Some move their wings and open and close their beaks while leaning forwards ...

and repeats the word "

Nevermore Nevermore was an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1991. The band has been inactive since 2011, due to personal issues between the band members. In April 2015, lead singer Warrel Dane confirmed that Nevermore had n ...

." When the raven occasionally makes smart-aleck remarks, Herman throws objects at him. Sometimes, the raven will come out of his clock, but often only for short breaks or to flee when frightened. * Kitty - A black cat that roars like a lion.

Recurring characters

Dr. Dudley

Edward Howard Dudley, M.D., (portrayed by

Paul Lynde Paul Edward Lynde (; June 13, 1926January 10, 1982) was an American comedian, actor and game show panelist. A character actor with a distinctively campy and snarky persona that often poked fun at his barely closeted homosexuality, Lynde was we ...

in episodes 4, 6, and 19,

Dom DeLuise Dominick DeLuise (August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009) was an American actor, comedian, director, producer, chef, and author. Known primarily for his comedic performances, he rose to fame in the 1970s as a frequent guest on television variety sho ...

in episode 55) is the Munsters' family doctor. Dr. Dudley is extremely nearsighted (and sometimes has his glasses off when examining Herman). His secretary and nurse is Ms. Fairchild (portrayed by Alice Backes). Dr. Dudley and his wife (portrayed by

Marilyn Lovell James Arthur Lovell Jr. (; born March 25, 1928) is an American retired astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he became, with Frank Borman and William Anders, one of the f ...

) have a son named Elmer Dudley (portrayed by Peter Robbins) who is Eddie's playmate in episode 4, "Rock-a-Bye, Munster."

Mr. Gateman

Mr. Gateman (portrayed by

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later ...

in the TV series, Jeremy Wheeler in the 2022 film) is the

undertaker A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as ...

in charge of the Gateman, Goodbury, and Graves

funeral home A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral. Services ...

where Herman works. In the 2022 film, Mr. Gateman was seen with Mr. Goodbury and Mr. Graves when they host a costume contest on Mockingbird Lane where they awarded the best costume prize to the Munsters. They also offer Herman a job when he says he is looking for employment.

Clyde Thornton

Clyde Thornton (portrayed by Chet Stratton) is Herman's co-worker at the funeral home. When first introduced, Clyde is continuously tricking and ridiculing Herman into one of his practical jokes until Herman finally stands up to him and Clyde gets caught in one of his own traps. After settling their differences, in "Cyrano De Munster", Clyde uses Herman's poems to woo the girl of his dreams. When she finds out that Clyde is not the one writing the poems, she rejects him and inquires about Herman. After finally seeing Herman, the girl screams and runs away. Angry at seeing his dream girl so frightened, Clyde punches Herman in the jaw and consequently breaks his own hand. Like most of Herman's co-workers, Clyde does not seem to notice anything unusual about Herman's appearance, although he is impressed (and intimidated) by Herman's super-strength.

Mrs. Cribbins

Mrs. Yolanda "Yo-yo" Cribbins (portrayed by

Claire Carleton Claire Carleton (September 28, 1913 – December 11, 1979) was an American actress whose career spanned four decades from the 1930s through the 1960s. She appeared in over 100 films, the majority of them features, and on numerous television ...

) is the Munsters' neighbor. In episode 2, "

My Fair Munster My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Mar ...

," Mrs. Cribbins falls in love with Herman after he accidentally consumes a potion concocted by Grandpa; at the end of the episode she and the mailman Warren Bloom (portrayed by

John Fiedler John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

), who is also wary of the Munsters, accidentally consume the same potion and fall in love with each other.

Howie Buchanan

Howie Buchanan (portrayed by

Richard Steven Horvitz Richard Steven Horvitz (born July 29, 1966) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his voice work in animation and video games. His voice credits include the original Alpha 5 on ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', ''Power Rangers Zeo'' an ...

) is a teenager exclusive to ''

The Munsters Today ''The Munsters Today'' is an American sitcom and a revival of the original 1964–66 sitcom '' The Munsters'' that aired in syndication from October 8, 1988, to May 25, 1991. Plot The series concerns the day-to-day life of a family of benign m ...

'' who is best friends with Marilyn and is one of a few people who can tolerate the Munsters.

Dee Dee Nelson

Dee Dee Nelson (portrayed by Mary Cadorette) only appears in ''

''. She is the wife of a plastic surgeon.

Relatives

The following are the known relatives of the Munster family:

On the Munster side

* Charlie Munster (portrayed by

Fred Gwynne Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, 1926 – July 2, 1993) was an American actor, artist and author widely known for his roles in the 1960s television sitcoms ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' as Francis Muldoon and as Herman Munster in ''The Munsters'' ...

) - Herman's twin brother. Conniving and a liar, he is into

get-rich-quick scheme A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to obtain high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 20th century. Most schemes create an impression that part ...

s and often engages in scam artistry. * Elsa Hyde (portrayed by

Judy Gold Judy Gold (born November 15, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, podcaster, television writer, author and producer. She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work as a writer and producer on ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show''. Life and care ...

) - Herman's sister and Marilyn's mother in ''

Here Come The Munsters ''Here Come the Munsters'' is a television film that aired on Fox October 31, 1995. It stars Edward Herrmann, Christine Taylor and Veronica Hamel. The film tells the story of the Munster family's arrival in the US from Transylvania. This is an ...

''. * Johann - Herman's "cousin". One of an unknown number of near misses before the successful creation of Herman and Charlie, survived in the Transylvanian woods for over 150 years, where he frightened young maidens. He was found by Dr. Frankenstein, who was the original's great-great-grandson who had control over him. *

Victor Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist and title character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.. He is an Italian-Swiss scientist (born in Naples, Italy) who, after studyin ...

- A

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

scientist who created Herman. At Herman and Lily's wedding, Frankenstein gave Herman away "with his blueprints." He is currently dead. * Victor Frankenstein IV (portrayed by

John Abbott Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott (March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Canada from 1891 to 1892. He held office as the leader of the Conservative Party. Abbo ...

) - The great-great-grandson of Victor Frankenstein who appeared in "A Visit from Johann". * Cousin Wolverine - The Munsters inherited money from him which they used in unsuccessful attempts to start businesses. * Uncle Gilbert (portrayed by

Richard Hale Richard Hale (born James Richards Hale; November 16, 1892 – May 18, 1981) was an American opera and concert singer and later a character actor of film, stage and television. Hale's appearance usually landed him roles as either Middle Ea ...

in the TV series, Renáta Kiss in the 2022 film) - Uncle Gilbert is

the Creature from the Black Lagoon ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars ...

Viacom International Paramount Global Distribution Group or Paramount Global Content Distribution is the international television distribution arm of American media conglomerate, Paramount Global, originally established in 1962 as the international distribution divis ...

; p. 371: "EPISODE 31 'Love Comes to Mockingbird Heights'... The Munsters receive $180,000 in gold doubloons from Uncle Gilbert... Uncle Gilbert turns out to be the Creature from the Black Lagoon" In the 2022 film, Uncle Gilbert is Lily Gruesella's uncle who she and Herman visited during the vacation that took place prior to their marriage. * Frank Munster (portrayed by

Peter Schuck Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

) - Herman's brother in ''

''. * Lady Effigie Munster (portrayed by

Hermione Gingold Hermione Ferdinanda Gingold (; 9 December 189724 May 1987) was an English actress known for her sharp-tongued, eccentric character. Her signature drawling, deep voice was a result of nodules on her vocal cords she developed in the 1920s and e ...

) - Herman Munster's evil aunt from England who sought to get rid of him and his family in order to acquire her late husband's inheritance. She first appeared in '' Munster, Go Home!'' * Lord Cavanaugh Munster - Herman Munster's deceased adoptive uncle and father figure from England and an accomplished road racer. He first appeared in ''Munster, Go Home!'' * Freddie Munster (portrayed by

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 19118 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members of t ...

) - Herman Munster's evil cousin from England who sought to get rid of him and his family in order to acquire Lady Effigie Munster's late husband's inheritance. He first appeared in ''Munster, Go Home!'' ** Grace Munster (portrayed by Jeanne Arnold) - Herman Munster's evil cousin from England who sought to get rid of him and his family in order to acquire Lady Effigie Munster's late husband's inheritance. She first appeared in ''Munster, Go Home!'' ** Cruikshank (portrayed by

) - Freddie and Grace's evil butler from England who sought to get rid of him and his family in order to acquire Lady Effigie Munster's late husband's inheritance. He first appeared in ''Munster, Go Home!'' * Henry Augustus Wolfgang (portrayed by

Richard Brake Richard Colin Brake (born 30 November 1964) is a Welsh-American character actor, known for his supporting roles as Joe Chill in '' Batman Begins'' (2005), Doom-Head in '' 31'' (2016), and the chemist in '' Mandy'' (2018), as well as his lead ro ...

) - In the 2022 film, Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang is a mad scientist who is responsible for the creation of Herman Munster. While he used the fingers of the zombie pianist Franz Pennywhacker after stabbing him in the head with his pickaxe, Wolfgang wanted to use the brain of astrophysicist Shelly Von Rathbone only to accidentally get the brain of his comedian brother Shecky Von Rathbone due to a mix-up by Floop. After seeing the mistake and briefly living in a leper colony in Zanzibar, Wolfgang was present at Herman's wedding to Lily Gruesella. Once Herman and Lily are married, Wolfgang states to the Count that Herman is his bloody problem now. ** Floop (portrayed by Jorge Garcia) - Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang's hunchbacked assistant. He was responsible for the brain mix-up when it came to creating Herman and was also responsible for giving him the last name Munster. During Dr. Wolfgang's brief time in Zanzibar following the brain mix-up, Floop became Herman's manager when he became a big hit. Floop was also present during Herman's wedding to Lily.

On the Dracula side

* Katja Dracula (portrayed by

Jo De Winter Jo, jo, JO, or J.O. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Jo'' (film), a 1972 French comedy * ''Jo'' (TV series), a French TV series *"Jo", a song by Goldfrapp from ''Tales of Us'' *"Jo", a song by Mr. Oizo from ''Lambs Anger'' * Jo a fictio ...

) - In ''

'', she's Lily's mother and depicted as Grandpa's favorite (and final) wife. She is also a go-getter vampire. Katja left her daughter and husband when Lily was very young due to a "having to get away", but she came back, trying reconcile. Eventually, she left again before this could be official. * Lester Dracula (portrayed by Irwin Charone in the TV series, Tomas Boykin in the 2022 film) - Lily's brother and a classy if not financially irresponsible

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...

. * Uncle George - Grandpa's uncle who was hanged. * Cousin Ronald - Grandpa's cousin. * Cousin Phantom (portrayed by Bob Hastings) - Their cousin and the

Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

who shatters glass with his voice. He appears in '' The Munsters' Revenge''. * Uncle Garrett and Aunt Mina - They were never depicted and were said to live in

Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the Highest temperature recorded on Earth, hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the ...

. * Uncle Boris - He was "a real swinger" according to Grandpa. At Christmas, he used to exchange bombs with Grigori Rasputin. A picture of him was found in the Munsters' family photo album. * Cousin Humphrey - Cousin Humphrey is Grandpa's deceased, rotten cousin. He stole Grandpa's aspirin during the Black Plague. Cousin Humphrey was also a lousy piano player and is now a ghost. * Lily's Grandma - She is Lily's unnamed grandmother who died for the umpteenth time in 1964 and left Lily an inheritance of $5,000.00. * Great Grandmother Medusa - She is Lily's great grandmother who was a famous cook back in her day. In ''

'' episode "Vampire Pie," Grandpa mentioned that nobody who tried her Transylvanian Surprise ever lived to regret it. It later turned out that Great Grandmother Medusa's Transylvanian Surprise also had

milk (harvested from the bats in the Munsters' attic) which was the antidote to prevent anyone who ate Transylvanian Surprise from turning into

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

s. * Unseen Cousin - In one episode of ''

'', Herman states that one of Lily's cousins is a

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes ass ...

Other relatives

In later adaptations of ''The Munsters'', other relatives were provided: * Leonard - Grandpa's long-time skeleton friend ever since college in medieval times. He appears in every episode of ''

''. * Aunt Elvira - A

witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

of uncertain connection to the family. In '' The Munsters' Revenge'', Lily mentions that the family enjoys meeting her when her broom arrives at the airport. She is clearly not intended to be '' Elvira, Mistress of the Dark''. * Cousin Wolfgang - A cousin of the Munsters who is mentioned in the animated special '' The Mini-Munsters''. He is the father of twins Igor and Lucretia (who do not look much alike). ** Igor and Lucretia - Two teenage cousins of the Munsters who appear in '' The Mini-Munsters''. They are the twin children of the Munsters' cousin Wolfgang. Igor is a Frankenstein-like entity like Herman and Lucretia is a blonde vampire. Along with Eddie (also a teenager in the special), they form a band called The Mini-Munsters. * Clyde the Door Knocker (portrayed by

Noel Ferrier Noel Ferrier AM (20 December 193016 October 1997) was an Australian television personality, comedian, stage and film actor, raconteur and theatrical producer. He was a regular panelist in Graham Kennedy's popular game show '' Blankety Blanks ( ...

) - A

door knocker A door knocker is an item of door furniture that allows people outside a house or other dwelling or building to alert those inside to their presence. A door knocker has a part fixed to the door, and a part (usually metal) which is attached to t ...

of the Munster Mansion who was shown in ''

The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas ''The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas'' is a 1996 American made-for-television science fiction comedy film featuring characters from the 1960s sitcom ''The Munsters''. It featured a different cast from the original series, the 1980s revival ser ...

''. He speaks in the voice and mannerisms of a butler. Clyde is based on the ghost of

Jacob Marley Jacob Marley is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'', a former business partner of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who has been dead for seven years.Hawes, Donal''Who's Who in Dickens'' Routledge (1998), Goog ...

in '' A Christmas Carol'', particularly the part where Marley's face briefly appears on Scrooge's door knocker.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of The Munsters Characters