Dig a hole: Ken “Pugsley” Weatherwax

Ken Weatherwax, TV’s jocund and rotund Pugsley Addams on the beloved series The Addams Family, died Sunday after suffering a heart attack in his California home. He was 59.

Weatherwax was a descendant of showbiz royalty, the nephew of both famed Busby Berkeley hoofer Ruby Keeler and Lassie’s master and trainer, Rudd Weatherwax.

In addition to The Addams Family, Weatherwax appeared in The Addams Family animated series and Halloween with the New Addams Family. His small screen debut as “the Stout Boy” on the long-running Western Gunsmoke marked his only appearance in a show that didn’t contain the word “Addams” in the title.

A post on IMDB noted that as of 2002, the actor had spent ten years working as a set builder on movie lots. His relatives tell TMZ there will be two funerals — one for the family and one for the fans.

Some acting careers peak in short pants. Ask Butch “Eddie Munster” Patrick or Jerry Mathers as the Beaver. I’m not quite sure “acting” is the correct term for what Weatherwax brought to the character. Let’s be honest — the guy didn’t exactly exhibit much range as an performer, particularly in a role that basically consisted of grinning cutaways. He was an irresistible natural, perfectly suited for the part, who found his signature role early on.

Kenny Weatherwax, the architect of Pugsley: gone but never forgotten.