John Astin on his approach to playing The Riddler

"It's a guest shot as far as I'm concerned," said Astin.

Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution

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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7 Comments

Runeshaper 1 day ago
Astin was a legend! It was cool that he decided to act The Riddler in his own way.
Blcakandwhitetvfan 6 days ago
Funny I don't remember him playing that character. He's still around too, he'll be 95 in March.
Stoney 6 days ago
Austin did not do a bad job on Batman at all. The only thing is, they should have given him his own character instead of having him try to "replace" Frank Gorshin. His portrayal would have fondly remembered if he had been a separate character.
Stoney Stoney 5 days ago
Astin, not Austin. Auto-incorrect strikes again!
CaptainDunsel Stoney 5 days ago
Auto-Correct is not your fiend...
Tresix Stoney 2 days ago
Heck, there were THREE Mr. Freezes and two Catwomen (on the series). I could live with Astin filling in for Gorshin as Riddler.
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