---
name: "Jackie Coogan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jackie-coogan"
fi1m_id: "jackie-coogan"
imdb_id: "nm0001067"
tmdb_id: 19426
wikidata_id: "Q313279"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "26 October 1914"
died: "1 March 1984"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T23:26:43.780004+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."
---

# Jackie Coogan

## Identity

Jackie Coogan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jackie-coogan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jackie-coogan
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001067
- **TMDB ID:** 19426
- **Wikidata ID:** Q313279
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Coogan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313279, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001067/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/19426

Actor. Born 26 October 1914 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 1 March 1984.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 26 October 1914, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Died:** 1 March 1984
- **Also known as:** John Leslie Coogan, John L. Coogan, Jack Coogan
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Coogan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313279, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001067/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/19426

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Kid*](https://film.one/film/the-kid.md) (84)

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

## Fi1m on Jackie Coogan

> Jackie Coogan’s gift is to make a child seem a capable partner in comedy, rather than someone waiting to be adored. We value the ease he brings to *The Kid* most when Chaplin resists pleading for our sympathy.

In *The Kid* (1921), Jackie Coogan has a share in the jokes, and that makes all the difference. Beside Charlie Chaplin, the boy seems comfortable enough to take part in the comedy without waiting to be fussed over. Coogan’s charm matters, but the shared routines give him something useful to do with it. We believe in the pair’s daily life because he looks at home in the Tramp’s company. It is a performance worth seeking out, especially for anyone wary of children employed chiefly to make an audience soften.

We were moved by how comfortable Coogan looks while the Tramp gets on with looking after him. Chaplin, directing and editing, gives the jokes time to register and the relationship time to settle. His music is less helpful when its tenderness presses us to feel what Coogan has already made clear. The direction can make the same mistake, asking for pity just when the boy’s comic independence has become interesting. The film remains warm and funny, but Coogan needs less assistance than Chaplin sometimes gives him.

*The Kid* made Coogan one of the first major child film stars, followed by a run of silent-film leads through the mid-1920s. *Oliver Twist* (1922), alongside Lon Chaney, belongs to that period. By *Tom Sawyer* (1930), he was nearing the end of his prominent juvenile leads. Roles declined after adolescence, and his later work shifted towards supporting characters in films and extensive television appearances. The return to prominence came as Uncle Fester in *The Addams Family* (1964–66), a rather different use of his talent for making a character immediately legible.

For Fester, he used a high-pitched voice, a bald head and distinctive make-up drawn from the cartoons. Coogan could make himself conspicuous when the part called for it. The quieter pleasure of *The Kid* is seeing how much he contributes without seeming to ask for attention. Start there, and allow him to make the jokes before Chaplin asks for the handkerchief.

## Biography

Jackie Coogan (born John Leslie Coogan) was an American actor. He began his film career as a child performer in silent pictures and appeared as the title character in Charlie Chaplin's *The Kid* (1921).

Coogan starred in numerous silent features during the 1920s, including *Oliver Twist* (1922), *Tom Sawyer* (1930) and *Huckleberry Finn* (1931). In 1938 he sued his mother and stepfather over the management of his childhood earnings, which prompted the California legislature to pass the first child performer protection law, known as the Coogan Act. During the Second World War he served as a glider pilot with the US Army Air Forces, taking part in operations in the Burma campaign.

After the war Coogan resumed acting, appearing in character roles and on television. He played Uncle Fester in the series *The Addams Family* (1964–1966) and its animated spin-off, and guest-starred in programmes including *The Andy Griffith Show* and *Hawaii Five-O*.

*Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nationalmuseum.af.mil.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *The Kid* (1921), Fi1m 84, as The Kid — [page](https://film.one/film/the-kid.md)

## Complete filmography (125)

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

- *The Addams Family Album* (1992), as Uncle Fester (archive footage)
- *Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies* (1988), as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *The Prey* (1983), as Lester Tile
- *The Escape Artist* (1982), as Magic Shop Owner
- *Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype* (1980), as Sgt. Fleacollar
- *The Kids Who Knew Too Much* (1980), as Mr. Klein
- *Human Experiments* (1979), as Sheriff Tibbs
- *$weepstake$* (1979), series, Actor
- *Flying High* (1978), series, Actor
- *Halloween with the New Addams Family* (1977), as Uncle Fester
- *Sherlock Holmes in New York* (1976), as Haymarket Hotel Proprietor
- *Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood* (1976), as Stagehand 1
- *The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery* (1975), as Detective Chief Anderson
- *Lucy Gets Lucky* (1975), as Gus Mitchell
- *The Specialists* (1975), as Roger
- *Movin' On* (1974), series, Actor
- *The Phantom of Hollywood* (1974), as Jonathan
- *The Addams Family* (1973), series, as Uncle Fester (voice)
- *Cahill: United States Marshal* (1973), as Charlie Smith
- *Police Story* (1973), series, Actor
- *Barnaby Jones* (1973), series, as Phil Rooney
- *Cool Million* (1972), series, as Merrill Cossack
- *Scooby-Doo Meets The Addams Family* (1972), as Uncle Fester (Voice)
- *The Brian Keith Show* (1972), series, Actor
- *The New Scooby-Doo Movies* (1972), series, as Uncle Fester (voice)
- *Emergency!* (1972), series, as Junkyard Owner
- *McMillan & Wife* (1971), series, as Howard Sparks
- *The Jimmy Stewart Show* (1971), series, Actor
- *Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law* (1971), series, as Zigler
- *The New Andy Griffith Show* (1971), series, Actor
- *Alias Smith and Jones* (1971), series, Actor
- *The Partridge Family* (1970), series, as Max Pepper, Grandpa Walter Renfrew
- *Love, American Style* (1969), series, as Uncle Harold, Motel Owner
- *The Brady Bunch* (1969), series, Actor
- *Marcus Welby, M.D.* (1969), series, as Vince Darrell
- *Marlowe* (1969), as Grant W. Hicks
- *Hawaii Five-O* (1969), series, as Horace Sibley, Jerry Howe, Frank
- *Here's Lucy* (1968), series, as Kermit Bosworth
- *Adam-12* (1968), series, as Harry Rustin
- *The Name of the Game* (1968), series, as Connie Hart
- *The Outsider* (1968), series, as Rusty
- *The Shakiest Gun in the West* (1968), as Matthew Basch
- *Rogue's Gallery* (1968), as Funeral Director
- *Ironside* (1967), series, as Buster Logan, Sam McGoff
- *Clown Alley* (1966), as Clown
- *Family Affair* (1966), series, Actor
- *A Fine Madness* (1966), as Mr. Fitzgerald
- *I Dream of Jeannie* (1965), series, as Suleiman
- *The Wild Wild West* (1965), series, as Mayor Cecil Pudney, Sheriff Koster
- *Girl Happy* (1965), as Sgt. Benson
- *John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!* (1965), as Father Ryan
- *The Addams Family* (1964), series, as Uncle Fester
- *Burke's Law* (1963), series, as Bert Crowley
- *Vacation Playhouse* (1963), series, as Finnegan
- *The Lucy Show* (1962), series, as Lieutenant Ruggles
- *McKeever and the Colonel* (1962), series, as Sgt. Barnes
- *The Virginian* (1962), series, as Bodey
- *When the Girls Take Over* (1962), as Captain Toussaint
- *The Andy Griffith Show* (1960), series, as George Stevens
- *Outlaws* (1960), series, Actor
- *Sex Kittens Go to College* (1960), as Wildcat MacPherson
- *Mr. Lucky* (1959), series, as Joe Azevedo
- *Hawaiian Eye* (1959), series, as Mack Stanley
- *Lock-Up* (1959), series, Actor
- *The Big Operator* (1959), as Ed Brannell
- *The Beat Generation* (1959), as Jake Baron
- *Lonelyhearts* (1959), as Ned Gates
- *Night of the Quarter Moon* (1959), as Desk Sergeant Bragan
- *77 Sunset Strip* (1958), series, as Baldy Mike Hannigan (uncredited)
- *No Place to Land* (1958), as Swede
- *Peter Gunn* (1958), series, Actor
- *The Space Children* (1958), as Hank Johnson
- *High School Confidential!* (1958), as Mr. A
- *Shirley Temple's Storybook* (1958), series, as Marshal Rogers
- *The Troublemakers* (1957), as Bender
- *Eighteen and Anxious* (1957), as Harold 'Eager' Beaver
- *The Joker is Wild* (1957), as Swifty Morgan
- *Perry Mason* (1957), series, as Elwood P. 'Gunner' Grimes, Pete Desmond, Gus Sawyer, Ron Litten
- *The Buster Keaton Story* (1957), as Elmer Case
- *Where's Charley?* (1957), as Coach Sanderford
- *The Star Wagon* (1957), as Hanus Wicks
- *Forbidden Area* (1956), as The Cook
- *The Proud Ones* (1956), as Man on Make (uncredited)
- *Matinee Theater* (1955), series, Actor
- *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as George Bay
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Marshal Stoudenaire
- *Escape from Terror* (1955), as Agent Petrov · Director
- *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1954), series, as Mr. Klein
- *The Actress* (1953), as Inopportune (uncredited)
- *Letter to Loretta* (1953), series, as Woody Woods, Snuff Carter
- *Mesa of Lost Women* (1953), as Dr Aranya
- *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Marshal Stubb Snider
- *Cowboy G-Men* (1952), series, Actor
- *Outlaw Women* (1952), as Piute Bill
- *Skipalong Rosenbloom* (1951), as Buck Lovelace
- *Studio One* (1948), series, as Jeffers
- *French Leave* (1948), as Pappy Reagan
- *Kilroy Was Here* (1947), as Pappy Collins
- *Sky Patrol* (1939), as Carter Meade
- *Million Dollar Legs* (1939), as Russ Simpson
- *College Swing* (1938), as Jackie
- *Love in September* (1936), as Jackie
- *Home on the Range* (1935), as Jack Hatfield
- *Huckleberry Finn* (1931), as Tom Sawyer
- *Tom Sawyer* (1930), as Tom Sawyer
- *Free and Easy* (1930), as Jackie Coogan - at Premiere (uncredited)
- *Buttons* (1927), as Buttons
- *The Bugle Call* (1927), as Billy Randolph
- *Johnny Get Your Hair Cut* (1927), as Johnny O'Day
- *Old Clothes* (1925), as Timothy Kelly
- *The Rag Man* (1925), as Tim Kelly
- *Hello, 'Frisco* (1924), as Jackie Coogan
- *Little Robinson Crusoe* (1924), as Mickey Hogan
- *A Boy of Flanders* (1924), as Nello
- *Long Live the King* (1923), as Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto
- *Circus Days* (1923), as Toby Tyler
- *Daddy* (1923), as Jackie Savelli / Jackie Holden
- *Oliver Twist* (1922), as Oliver Twist
- *Trouble* (1922), as Danny, the Kid
- *Nice and Friendly* (1922), as Boy
- *My Boy* (1921), as Jackie Blair
- *Peck's Bad Boy* (1921), as Henry Peck
- *The Kid* (1921), as The Kid — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-kid.md)
- *A Day's Pleasure* (1919), as Smallest Boy (uncredited)
- *Skinner's Baby* (1917), as The Baby (uncredited)

## Gallery

- ![Jackie Coogan](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-47d4ab679d2d.jpg) Jackie Coogan — CBS-TV, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Jackie_Coogan_1962.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Belair Drive-In theater advertisement for the American comedy film Sex Kittens Go to College (1960). 5 October 1960.](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-be9d8e6838e7.png) Belair Drive-In theater advertisement for the American comedy film Sex Kittens Go to College (1960). 5 October 1960. — Allied Artists Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Belair_Drive-in_Ad_-_5_October_1960%2C_Fontana%2C_CA.png/1280px-Belair_Drive-in_Ad_-_5_October_1960%2C_Fontana%2C_CA.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Publicity photo of Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester) and Ted Cassidy (Lurch) from a personal appearance booking at Pleasure Island (Massachusetts amusement park, Wak](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-51d61992225d.jpg) Publicity photo of Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester) and Ted Cassidy (Lurch) from a personal appearance booking at Pleasure Island (Massachusetts amusement park, Wak — Pleasure Island

Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Fester_lurch_1966.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Theatre advertisement for the film, High School Confidential!, 29 May, 1958.](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-3bfa570f821d.jpg) Theatre advertisement for the film, High School Confidential!, 29 May, 1958. — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/High_School_Confidential%21_ad_-_29_May1958.jpg/1280px-High_School_Confidential%21_ad_-_29_May1958.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jackie Coogan](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-65d4e30b3f0e.jpg) Jackie Coogan — Image via TMDB
- ![Jackie Coogan](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-a1e78cb987ec.jpg) Jackie Coogan — Image via TMDB
- ![Jackie Coogan](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-fae77463be65.jpg) Jackie Coogan — Image via TMDB
- ![Window card for the film Huckleberry Finn (1931)](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-0e7ed827c8d0.jpg) Window card for the film Huckleberry Finn (1931) — Paramount Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Huckleberry-Finn-1931-Window-Card.jpg/1280px-Huckleberry-Finn-1931-Window-Card.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Grave of actor John Leslie "Jackie" Coogan at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California (section F, tier 56, grave 47). Coogan was born on October 26, 1914 (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-463680f9e553.jpg) Grave of actor John Leslie "Jackie" Coogan at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California (section F, tier 56, grave 47). Coogan was born on October 26, 1914 (2011) — IllaZilla, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Jackie_Coogan%27s_grave.JPG/1280px-Jackie_Coogan%27s_grave.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jackie Coogan](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-6a02e475b4d9.jpg) Jackie Coogan — Image via TMDB
- ![Jackie Coogan](https://film.one/media/person/105187/gallery-2480938ba68c.jpg) Jackie Coogan — 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/jackie-coogan