John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an American actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, and is best known for the roles of Gomez Addams on The Addams Family, Evil Roy Slade, and other similarly eccentric comedic characters. Astin was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Margaret Linnie (née Mackenzie) and Dr. Allen Varley Astin, who was the director of the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology). He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1952, after transferring from Washington & Jefferson College. He initially studied mathematics at Washington & Jefferson then became a drama major at Johns Hopkins; he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at Johns Hopkins. Astin started in theater, making his first Broadway appearance as an understudy in "Major Barbara," and also did voice-over work for commercials. His first big break in film came with a small part in West Side Story in 1961. During this period, his talent for also playing comedy was spotted by actor Tony Randall, leading to a guest starring role on the ABC sitcom, Harrigan and Son, starring Pat O'Brien.