Wednesday Star Replaced With Star Wars Actor In Season 2

Netflix's Wednesday returns with Season 2 and a new Lurch played by Star Wars’ Joonas Suotamo.

Wednesday Season 2 finally dropped after three years of fans waiting patiently. Jenna Ortega’s iconic Wednesday Addams returned, darker and deadpan as ever, but there’s one big change that even the keenest fans couldn’t miss: the Addams Family’s towering butler, Lurch, got a complete makeover in Wednesday Season 2.

If you caught Season 1, you met Lurch as played by George Burcea, a 6’3” actor who nailed the quiet menace and moody expressions that make Lurch more than just a tall, gloomy guy. But when Wednesday Season 2 rolled around, George was no longer Lurch. He took to Instagram in April 2024 to explain he wouldn’t be back “for personal and managerial reasons.” Basically, George bowed out, leaving Netflix with a tall order: find someone who could fill Lurch’s shoes, or in this case, towering boots.

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Joonas Suotamo, a Finnish actor standing a whopping 6’11” and better known as the man behind the mask of Chewbacca in the Star Wars saga, was cast. Yes, the Wookiee himself is now your Addams Family butler. Before Netflix called him up, Joonas was making waves in the galaxy far, far away, taking over the furry role from Peter Mayhew from The Force Awakens onward. He even popped up recently as Master Kelnacca in The Acolyte, proving he’s an important part of the Star Wars universe.

Now, you might be wondering how the former basketball player and Star Wars star translates to Lurch, who barely says a word but speaks volumes with a raised eyebrow or a guttural moan. Luckily, the role suits Joonas’s physicality perfectly. Lurch is all about presence and silence, and with Joonas’s extra height, he looks even more imposing on screen.

Wednesday Season 2 New Family Portrait — L to R: Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Joanna Lumley as Grandmama, Joonas Suotamo as Lurch, Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester and Isaac Ordonez aș Pugsley. Image Credit: Netflix

In the original 1960s series, Lurch was practically Wednesday’s only friend, a silent giant who cared deeply. Will Wednesday Season 2 lean into that bond more? Given Joonas’s presence, it seems likely we’ll see more of the butler, and maybe more of those signature moans.