---
name: "Carel Struycken"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/carel-struycken"
fi1m_id: "carel-struycken"
imdb_id: "nm0835393"
tmdb_id: 9631
wikidata_id: "Q496503"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "30 July 1948"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T20:07:46.273588+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Carel Struycken

## Identity

Carel Struycken

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/carel-struycken
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** carel-struycken
- **IMDb ID:** nm0835393
- **TMDB ID:** 9631
- **Wikidata ID:** Q496503
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carel_Struycken, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q496503, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0835393/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9631

Actor. Born 30 July 1948 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 30 July 1948, The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
- **Active:** 1987–1997
- **Also known as:** کارل استریکن
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 73 (1), 1990s 79 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 71 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 4, Fantasy 3, Action 1, Adventure 1, Family 1, Horror 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $894m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carel_Struycken, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q496503, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0835393/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9631

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Men in Black*](https://film.one/film/men-in-black.md) (82), [*The Witches of Eastwick*](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick.md) (73)
- **Apple TV:** [*Addams Family Values*](https://film.one/film/addams-family-values.md) (78), [*The Addams Family*](https://film.one/film/the-addams-family.md) (77)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Carel Struycken

> Carel Struycken makes a largely silent part worth watching through stature and expression. We like his Lurch, and wish more of his roles gave him something beyond an unusual appearance to work with.

Lurch has little need to compete with the people doing the talking in *The Addams Family* (1991). Carel Struycken relies on stature and expression, holding his place alongside Anjelica Huston and Raúl Juliá without demanding equal time. We warmed to his Lurch because he seems entirely at home in that affectionate, macabre household. Barry Sonnenfeld's film has thin plotting, but the cast makes spending time with the family a pleasure. Struycken's largely silent butler is part of that welcome.

*Ewoks: The Battle for Endor* (1985) and Mr Homn in *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987) had already established his place in science fiction and fantasy. The Giant and the Fireman in *Twin Peaks* (1990–1991, 2017) gave him a recurring place in stranger company. Much of his work has involved giants, aliens or monsters with little dialogue. That can be restrictive: a production gets the figure it wants, while the actor has to find something to do within a narrow brief.

Sonnenfeld used him again as an Arquillian in *Men in Black* (1997), a small part that continued the extraterrestrial casting. Its thin story is worth forgiving for the brisk partnership between Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. Struycken fits the alien comedy, but it offers less to consider as a performance than Lurch does. Sonnenfeld gets more from him when there is a household to belong to and a comedy he can contribute to without much speech.

The Moonlight Man in *Gerald's Game* (2017) and Grampa Flick in *Doctor Sleep* (2019) continued the pattern through horror. We would welcome a role that used his restraint without asking him to look otherworldly again. Start with *The Addams Family*, provided warmth and comic company matter more to the evening than a well-built plot.

## Biography

Carel Struycken is a Dutch actor. He was born on 30 July 1948 in The Hague and moved with his family to Curaçao at the age of four. He later returned to the Netherlands, studied directing at the film school in Amsterdam and attended the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

Struycken is known for his roles as Lurch in *The Addams Family* (1991), *Addams Family Values* (1993) and *Addams Family Reunion* (1998), the Giant (also credited as the Fireman) in *Twin Peaks* (1990–1991, 2017), Mr Homn in *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987–1992), and the Arquillian in *Men in Black* (1997). He has also appeared in *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987), *Gerald's Game* (2017) and *Doctor Sleep* (2019). His height of 2.13 m (7 ft) is due to acromegaly. In addition to acting, he works as a photographer.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Men in Black* (1997), Fi1m 82, as Arquillian — [page](https://film.one/film/men-in-black.md)
- *Addams Family Values* (1993), Fi1m 78, as Lurch — [page](https://film.one/film/addams-family-values.md)
- *The Addams Family* (1991), Fi1m 77, as Lurch — [page](https://film.one/film/the-addams-family.md)
- *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987), Fi1m 73, as Fidel — [page](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick.md)

## Complete filmography (41)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Class of '85* (2022), as Roy
- *The Eden Theory* (2021), as The Stranger
- *Doctor Sleep* (2019), as Grampa Flick
- *Gerald's Game* (2017), as Moonlight Man
- *Trophy Heads* (2014), as Brother Humphrey
- *Sinterklaas: The Secret Of The Big Book* (2008), as Dr. Ferdinand
- *ReVamped* (2007), as Mr. Vincent
- *My Name Is Earl* (2005), series, as Paul — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/my-name-is-earl.md)
- *The Fallen Ones* (2005), as High Priest #1
- *The Legacy* (2004), series, Actor
- *Fatal Kiss* (2002), as Mortician
- *Science Fiction* (2002), as Vreemde man
- *The Vampire Hunters Club* (2001), as Host Vampire
- *Addams Family Reunion* (1998), as Lurch
- *Charmed* (1998), series, as Giant Demon
- *I Woke Up Early the Day I Died* (1998), as Undertaker
- *Men in Black* (1997), as Arquillian — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/men-in-black.md)
- *Oblivion 2: Backlash* (1996), as Gaunt
- *Under the Hula Moon* (1995), as Clyde
- *Out There* (1995), as Mr. Burke
- *Star Trek: Voyager* (1995), series, as Spectre
- *Oblivion* (1994), as Gaunt
- *Babylon 5* (1994), series, as Trader — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/babylon-5.md)
- *Addams Family Values* (1993), as Lurch — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/addams-family-values.md)
- *Journey to the Center of the Earth* (1993), as Dallas
- *Night of the Kickfighters* (1991), as Ponti
- *The Addams Family* (1991), as Lurch — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/the-addams-family.md)
- *Servants of Twilight* (1991), as Kyle Barlow
- *Framed* (1990), as Jinx
- *Twin Peaks* (1990), series, as The Giant, Fireman, The Fireman — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/twin-peaks.md)
- *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987), series, as Mr. Homn — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-the-next-generation.md)
- *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987), as Fidel — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick.md)
- *Population: 1* (1986), Editor, Producer
- *Ewoks: The Battle for Endor* (1985), as Terak
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Occult Store Owner (uncredited)
- *The Prey* (1983), as The Monster
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as The Giant — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *Die Laughing* (1980), as Gregor the Giant
- *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* (1978), as The Brute
- *Tarzana* (1978), as Polynesian
- *Two Minutes to Midnight*, as Shire

## Gallery

- ![Carel Struycken and some ladies arguing over a plastic bag, I think (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/79702/gallery-40bfbca734f3.jpg) Carel Struycken and some ladies arguing over a plastic bag, I think (2009) — Tracy Brewer Medley from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Carel_Struycken_%283810878712%29.jpg/1280px-Carel_Struycken_%283810878712%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Carel Struycken](https://film.one/media/person/79702/gallery-cf3b9698e519.jpg) Carel Struycken — Miguel Discart, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Carel_Struycken_March_2016.jpg/1280px-Carel_Struycken_March_2016.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Comic Con Brussels 2016 (CCBX 2016).](https://film.one/media/person/79702/gallery-843f8da77942.jpg) Comic Con Brussels 2016 (CCBX 2016). — Miguel Discart from Bruxelles, Belgique, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Comic_Con_Brussels_2016_-_Carel_Struycken_%2826071227143%29.jpg/1280px-Comic_Con_Brussels_2016_-_Carel_Struycken_%2826071227143%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Comic Con Brussels 2016 (CCBX 2016).](https://film.one/media/person/79702/gallery-6986a7317e22.jpg) Comic Con Brussels 2016 (CCBX 2016). — Miguel Discart from Bruxelles, Belgique, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Comic_Con_Brussels_2016_-_Carel_Struycken_%2826071227143%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Comic_Con_Brussels_2016_-_Carel_Struycken_%2826071227143%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Carel Struycken](https://film.one/media/person/79702/gallery-fb5b43ea09da.jpg) Carel Struycken — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/carel-struycken