Jimmy Workman

Virginia native Jimmy Workman owes whatever fame he achieved to his older sister, actress-singer Shanelle Workman. At age eight, he accompanied her to an audition for the film "The Addams Family" where she was in contention for the role of Wednesday. Director Barry Sonnenfeld and producer Scott Rudin spotted the pudgy Workman and asked him to read for the part of Pugsley, the Addams son with a fondness for guillotines and other instruments of death. He proved impressive enough to land the role and made his feature film debut in 1991. Capitalizing on the success of the macabre outing, however, proved a bit difficult. Workman was tapped to play a brat in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-directed small screen remake of "Christmas in Connecticut" (TNT, 1992) and reprised Pugsley in the 1993 sequel "Addams Family Values," but additional roles proved elusive. Part of the actor's problem was that after the second go-round as the portly youngster, he experienced a growth spurt and also dropped some forty pounds. Casting agents expecting a rotund little boy were met with a strapping young man and were confused as to how best showcase the actor. Workman did voice-over work in TV commercials and cartoons and netted the occasional TV guest spot, but after playing a small role in "As Good As It Gets" (1997), he decided on a three-year, self-imposed hiatus from performing. Having experienced a bit of freedom (he was able to access his movie earnings when he turned 18), Workman renewed his commitment to acting and hoped to begin to land roles in film and TV projects.