Though John Astin is 78-years-old, walks in a steady beat and seems to be more reminiscent of his past–his sharp blue eyes mirror the same gaze he held as Gomez Addams from the hit 1964 show ” The Addams family.”

John Astin’s smile never faltered nor did his hearty laugh, in between sharing anecdotes.  Astin, head of the theater department in Johns Hopkins University; presented a lecture on his past with theater;Poe’s best works and on his own notoriety as a “Pop culture icon” at the Rennaissance Institute at College of Notre Dame in Baltimore Maryland.

Inspite of repeated troubles with his mic, he performed a lively rendition of “The Raven.” Audience members of 65-years and over, clapped for well over a decade and demanded encores.

Astin also read pieces from his one-man Edgar Allen Poe show that he held around the Baltimore city area not too long ago. When asked by audience members if “Gomez Addams” still keeps in contact with cast members from his TV family.

 Astin  replied” I still keep in contact with Wednesday, Pugsley and Cousin It. But Cousin It has definantly changed alot over the years.He used to have a brown mane but it’s all white now.”