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John Astin on his approach to playing The Riddler
"It's a guest shot as far as I'm concerned," said Astin.
Replacing a well-loved character isn't easy, but with the gusto and enthusiasm that John Astin approached taking on the role of The Riddler in Batman, you'd assume it was a cinch.
While Astin was previously known for his role as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family, he had also done some serious acting before he replaced Frank Gorshin as The Riddler.
"It's a guest shot as far as I'm concerned," said Astin during an interview with The Los Angeles Times. "You know, people forget that I've done Shaw, Shakespeare, and Eugene O'Neil. This is what I've been reveling in since the Addams series went off."
Astin explained that he wasn't trying to follow in Gorshin's footsteps, but rather, play The Riddler as a brand new character. "I had very little knowledge of how Gorshin played the role," he said. "I figure the guy's got to be in love with himself - a narcissist. I play him this way. You know, striding around. Striking a few muscle poses. It was fun."
Ultimately, it seemed that the best advice Astin had was to not take life as an actor too seriously.
"A lot of men in T.V. are trying to make it an art form," he said. "But as long as you have that light burning in your eye, with distractions in a room, you just don't have the situation for an art form."
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