The actor, who was best known for playing on the 1960s television sitcom, has passed away at the age of 84 following his struggle with pancreatic cancer.
- April 18, 2021
AceShowbiz - Actor Felix Silla has died.
The star, best known for his role as Cousin Itt on the 1960s TV sitcom "The Addams Family", lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Friday (16Apr21). He was 84.
"It is with a heavy heart that I tell you all that my dear friend of over forty years, Felix Silla, is dying of pancreatic cancer," tweeted Gil Gerard, who co-starred with him on the NBC series "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century".
"I spoke briefly with him and his family last night and they tell me that he's going into hospice care today. Prayers."
In a follow-up post, Gerard added, "Felix died just a few hours ago and the only good I can draw from his passing is that he didn't suffer any longer."
"I will miss him terribly, especially the great time we had at our panels. Just him telling me to, 'go 'f' myself.' (sic)"
Born in Italy, Silla was under four feet tall and weighed just 70 pounds. He arrived in the U.S. in 1955 and toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a trapeze artist and tumbler.
In 1962, he relocated to Hollywood and worked as a stuntman, landing roles in the Gig Young-Shirley Jones comedy film "A Ticklish Affair", the Bonanza episode Hoss and the Leprechauns, and in the "Star Trek" pilot "The Cage".
He went on to appear in movies including "Planet of the Apes", "Demon Seed", and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", and did stunt work on big pictures including "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", "Poltergeist", "The Golden Child", and "Batman Returns".
Silla is survived by his wife, Sue, whom he married in 1965, and their children, Bonnie and Michael.
