Carolyn Jones vowed to never date actors, writers or producers
The love between Gomez and Morticia Addams is viewed by history as aspirational.
Theirs remains one of the strongest marriages in pop history.
For Carolyn Jones, who didn’t just play Morticia so much as embody the TV beauty, choosing a partner became serious business after her second marriage to producer Aaron Spelling ended in divorce.
It was at that point the Addams Family star dashed any dreams fans might have that she and actor John Astin might have any chemistry in the real world.
In a 1965 interview with celebrity gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, Jones stated that she had no interest in dating actors — or writers and producers, for that matter.
"Actors aren’t much fun to date," Jones said. "They may be marvelous on the set, but as men, you have to be the kind of girl who stands around and gives them the 'I think you’re wonderful' routine."
She said writers were just as self-involved.
"Most writers are like children and react something like actors do to emotional stress," Jones explained. "Writers can be childish with the 'Well, it’s important to me' kind of thing."
Her ex-husband Aaron Spelling at the time was on his way to becoming one of the most influential producers of all time, and Jones said her failed marriage to him made her weary of dating producers, too.
"I think it’s better for both of us," Jones said of Spelling. "He is so busy with the studio and so involved in it — he’s married to the job."
She had this to say of never dating any more producers:
"Producers have been told how important they are for so long, they begin to believe it," Jones said. "Some of them assume they have godlike qualities and can never be wrong. Also, they think because they buy you a drink and dinner, you’re supposed to give them anything they ask for. I can buy my own dinner."
In the Sixties, Jones was known for her extravagance, donning custom gowns and glittering diamonds.
"I’ve worked hard for things and believe I should enjoy the fruits of my labor," Jones said.
At the time of the interview, she was dating an agent who didn’t make much money, but Jones said she planned to marry him anyway. She didn’t need a man to buy her fancy things. She bought things for herself.
"I make my own money and am happy doing it," Jones said. "I’m beyond the age where I’d say we’ll get a little house or build one. I don’t need any of that anymore."
Fitting to Morticia’s aesthetic, Jones said they announced their engagement on Halloween.
But ultimately, she didn’t marry the agent, either.
Instead, three years later, she married a Tony award-winning musician Herbert Greene, one of the most sought-after "voice doctors" on Broadway.
Greene definitely had the money to support Jones’ extravagance, but, predictably, exactly that became the wedge between them.
This marriage soured after Jones told the Daily News in 1982 that Greene stopped her from doing what she loved most: acting.
"I was married to a man for nine years who didn’t want me to work … only support him," Jones said.
After they divorced in 1977, contrary to her position in 1965, Jones ended up dating another actor, after all.
In 1982, she wed her fourth and final husband, the Dutch actor Peter Bailey-Britton, after five years of dating. The next year, Jones passed away from colon cancer.
Bailey-Britton was the sort of boyfriend who doted on Jones by buying her fancy gems. And Jones was the sort of girlfriend who would then buy more jewelry for herself to match the gifts he gave her.
Focused on her own financial well-being, Jones was always grateful for how her role as Morticia on The Addams Family supported her through all the highs and lows. The character became the breadwinner for Jones that she never sought in a spouse.
"I love Morticia," Jones told the Daily News. "I brought up a whole generation of kids. It makes you feel like you did the right thing when you’re still getting money and they’re still playing it."