Screenwriter Paul Rudnick pulled the name out of obscurity when penning Addams Family Values (1993), the sequel to Barry Sonnenfeld's 1991 box-office hit. The film needed an inciting incident to disrupt the dynamic between Gomez (Raul Julia) and Morticia (Anjelica Huston).
The arrival of a third child provided the spark. To honor Charles Addams, Rudnick dusted off the creator's banned pitch and christened the infant Pubert Addams.
Pubert was anything but typical. Played on set by twin infant girls Kaitlyn and Kristen Hooper, the youngest Addams emerged from the womb sporting slicked-back raven hair, a miniature black onesie, and a full, manicured pencil mustache matching Gomez's. Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) spent the first two acts trying to murder him via guillotine, cannon, and gravity drops. Pubert survived every attempt by catching falling blades with his teeth and giggling at terminal velocity.
The film's sharpest satirical beat arrived when the infant fell gravely ill. Instead of turning pale, Pubert turned pastel pink, grew golden curls, and broke into cheerful smiles. Gomez and Morticia panicked at his sickening normalcy until Wednesday rescued the household, restoring Pubert to his pale, sinister, mustachioed glory.
| Era & Medium | Character Designation | Historical Context & Network Reception |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 TV Series (ABC) | Pugsley Addams (Originally Pubert) | Charles Addams' initial name choice was blocked by broadcast censors due to sexual maturation connotations. |
| 1993 Feature Film | Pubert Addams (Newborn Sibling) | Revived by Paul Rudnick as a mustachioed baby; earned critical praise for subverting Hollywood baby tropes. |
| 2022, 2026 Internet Culture | "Kid Named Pubert" Meme | Repurposed as an anti-meme hybrid combining Mike Ehrmantraut humor with gothic 90s nostalgia. |
