Felix Silla
Pint-sized actor and stuntman Felix Silla was best known for playing diminutive robots and alien creatures on numerous sci-fi screen sagas. Born in Rome, Italy, and trained as a circus performer, Silla immigrated to the United States as part of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. A trapeze and tumbling specialist, Silla was initially brought to Hollywood as a stuntman, but, because of his small size, he began appearing in a number of odd character roles. Cast as the hirsute "Cousin Itt" on the popular '60s sitcom "The Addams Family"--a character that required the 3' 11" actor to be covered, head to toe, in a shaggy, hair-covered suit--Silla went on to similar costumed roles on the late-'70s sci-fi series "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (as robot servant "Twiki"), the original "Star Trek" (as a Talosian alien), and the third "Star Wars" feature, "Return of the Jedi" (as an Ewok). Retired from acting since the mid-'90s, Silla frequented sci-fi nostalgia conventions and performed in Las Vegas with his musical group, the Original Harmonica Band. Felix Silla died on April 16, 2021 at the age of 84.