Butch Patrick (born Patrick Alan Lilley; August 2, 1953) is an American actor and musician. Beginning his professional acting career at the age of seven, Patrick is perhaps best known for his role as child werewolf Eddie Munster on the CBS comedy television series The Munsters from 1964 to 1966 and in the 1966 feature film Munster, Go Home!, and as Mark on the ABC Saturday morning series Lidsville from 1971 to 1973.
Life and career Patrick Alan Lilley was born on August 2, 1953,"Butch Patrick". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 28, 2018. in Inglewood, California. He was spotted by a talent agent at the age of seven, which led to a series of appearances in television commercials and guest appearances on TV shows. In 1961 he made his feature-film debut in the 20th Century Fox comedy–fantasy The Two Little Bears, in which he co-starred with Eddie Albert and Jane Wyatt.
Over the next two years, Patrick went on to appear in guest-starring roles on numerous television series, including Ben Casey, Alcoa Premiere, Bonanza, My Favorite Martian, Gunsmoke, Mister Ed, and Rawhide and recurring roles on The Real McCoys and General Hospital. These roles would have him appear opposite headliners including Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, and Sidney Poitier.
When recounting how he began his acting career, Patrick explained "I owe my career to my sister. She was the one who got me started and gave me all the encouragement. She always wanted to be an actress and was on the casting call sheet one day. She was asked if there were any other children at home. She told them about me, and I got some small roles, then some bigger ones..."
In 1964 while living in Geneseo, Illinois, just east of the Quad Cities, Patrick landed the role of child werewolf Eddie Munster, starring alongside Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster, Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster and Al Lewis as Grandpa, on the CBS television series The Munsters, a fantasy situation comedy loosely based on Universal's movie monsters. The role of Eddie was originally portrayed by child actor Happy Derman in the pilot episode before Patrick was ultimately selected out of hundreds of boys for the role.
When asked how he landed the role of Eddie, Patrick recalled "I had a lot of experience. But maybe it was because my fangs were my own teeth. My teeth were so bad, that even when I closed my mouth they stuck out. I was about a head smaller than the other kids, and they liked that because it played off Herman's height." Living on the East Coast at the time, Patrick commuted to Los Angeles every week during filming of the series, appearing in 70 episodes during The Munsters two-season run from 1964 to 1966.
In an April 2017 interview, when asked if he recalled his TV mother (Yvonne De Carlo) hiding tiny portions of dialogue around the set, attaching them to props to help jog her memory, so the dialogue could be added to her performance: "No, not in The Munsters she wasn't doing that. Maybe later in life. Because sometimes your memory starts slipping on you. But that's a great idea, actually! I'll have to remember that!".
He also was asked if he had kept in touch with his on-screen family after The Munsters was canceled, especially De Carlo, who died on January 8, 2007. He replied, "No, after the show ended, everyone went their own ways. But in the early '80s, I contacted Al Lewis and we became friends and I started attaching myself to the Munster name and brand. And then 10 years after that I started talking to Yvonne. I was actually a guest on The Vicki Lawrence Show where I was this surprise guest brought out for Yvonne and after that we became friends. I started visiting her and she was somewhat of a recluse, living in North Los Angeles and I introduced her to this guy in Hollywood who would send her care packages, movies to watch and sort of get her back in the loop of Hollywood."
After The Munsters ended, Patrick continued to appear in guest-starring roles on various popular television series of the 1960s, including I Dream of Jeannie, Death Valley Days, Gunsmoke, The Monkees, Daniel Boone, and Adam-12, as well as a recurring role as Gordon Dearing on the CBS family comedy series My Three Sons. During this time, Patrick also appeared in several Disney films, including The Young Loner, The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, and Way Down Cellar on TV's The Wonderful World of Disney. He also portrayed the role of Milo in the MGM live-action/animated film The Phantom Tollbooth, which had been filmed in 1967 and completed in 1968, but was held up from release until late 1970 by internal studio problems.
In 1971, Patrick landed the starring role on Sid and Marty Krofft's Saturday morning children's program Lidsville, broadcast on ABC. In the psychedelic fantasy series, Patrick portrayed Mark, a boy lost in a strange land of walking, talking, singing hats, opposite veteran character actors Charles Nelson Reilly and Billie Hayes. The show was in production from 1971 to 1973.
In 1975, Patrick left acting to work for his father and began to learn to play the bass guitar. In 1983, he recorded the song, "Whatever Happened to Eddie?" (b/w "Little Monsters"), with several instrumentalists and backup singers under the group name "Eddie and the Monsters." Set to the tune of the Munsters theme, the song details his life as a Munster. ("You might wonder why I have a dragon for a pet—well, he's just there to keep me company on the set.") The single was released by Rocshire Records. In 2007 Patrick recorded a song "It's Only Halloween" that was released on Park Lane Drive Records.
In addition to his music, Patrick returned to occasional film and television work, including making cameo appearances as "Himself" on episodes of the Fox animated television series The Simpsons and the 2003 comedy film Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, as well as appearing as a grown-up Eddie Munster in a Little Caesars Pizza commercial. He appeared as himself on Cristina's Court, having been sued by the manager of his website.
In 2002, Patrick co-hosted Macabre Theatre with Natalie Popovich, aka "Ivonna Cadaver". That same year he also appeared in the first episode of the E! Network celebrity dating reality television show Star Dates.
Patrick made a cameo appearance in the 2005 retro-horror film Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove, directed by William Winckler, playing a man who had become a werewolf, speaking a line of dialogue in comical reference to The Munsters.
Personal life On September 11, 2016, Patrick married his longtime girlfriend Leila Murray.
Politics Patrick is a friend and ally of Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is a political ally of President Donald Trump. Patrick posed for a photo with Sarah Sanders.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1961The Two Little BearsBilly Davis1962Hand of DeathDavey1962Pressure PointImaginary PlaymateUncredited1963A Child Is WaitingBoy Playing FootballUncredited1963ShowdownKidUncredited1964One Man's WayJohn Peale1966Munster, Go Home!Eddie Munster1970The Phantom TollboothMiloFilmed in 1967 and completed in 1968.1971The Sandpit GeneralsNo Legs1991Scary MovieEddie2003Dickie Roberts: Former Child StarHimself2005Spaced OutBartenderDirect-to-video2009Kitaro's Graveyard GangWolfman (voice)English dub2009It Came from TrafalgarRoy Autry2010SoupernaturalMan with a Knife2010Eat meFlipperShort film2011Kitaro's Graveyard Gang 2Wolfman (voice)English dub2012Young Blood: Evil IntentionsPrincipal2014Zombie DreamButch2015Bite SchoolButch2019He Drives at NightAtty General Edward Talmadge2022Horrortales.666 Part 3 Detective Mike2022QuakeasaurusMayor Myers2022Old Man JacksonPriest Edwin Mumsford2022The Munsters The Tin Can ManVoice
Television Year Title Role Notes1961The Detectives BobbyEpisode: "The Legend of Jim Riva"1962Ben CaseyBillyEpisode: "A Pleasant Thing for the Eyes"1962Alcoa PremiereWesley, Tommy2 episodes1962The UntouchablesCharlieEpisode: "The Night They Shot Santa Claus"1962–1971My Three SonsGordon Dearing, Elmore Crocker, Little Boy9 episodes1963General HospitalJohnny Mercer1 episode1963The Real McCoysGreg Howard7 episodes1963Death Valley DaysTommyEpisode: "A Kingdom for a Horse"1963My Favorite MartianStevieEpisode: "How to Be a Hero Without Really Trying"1963BonanzaJody FletcherEpisode: "The Prime of Life"1963–1966Mister EdStevie, Tommy Slater2 episodes1964RawhideDannyEpisode: " Incident of the Pied Piper"1964–1966The MunstersEddie Munster70 episodes1964–1967GunsmokeTom John, Runt2 episodes1966Pistols 'n' PetticoatsChad TurnerEpisode: "A Crooked Line"1966–1967I Dream of JeannieRichard2 episodes1967The MonkeesMelvinS2:E15, "The Christmas Show"1968The Young LonerBumperTelevision film1968The Magical World of DisneyBumper, Frank Wilson4 episodes1968Family AffairFrankieEpisode: "By a Whisker"1969Daniel BooneBlack Cat JackEpisode: "Copperhead Izzy"1969Marcus Welby, M.D.Sailor BallingerEpisode: "All Flags Flying"1969–1970Adam-12Paul Foster, Tony Niccola2 episodes1970HeadmasterRitchieEpisode: "May I Turn On?"1971–1972LidsvilleMark17 episodes1971–1972The Smith FamilyFreddie, Jerry, Gray, Hank5 episodes1974Shazam!JackEpisode: "The Athlete"1974Lucas TannerJackEpisode: "By the Numbers"1974IronsideBarney ParkosEpisode: "Act of Vengeance"1995Here Come the MunstersRestaurant GuestTelevision film1999The Simpsons Butch Patrick (voice)Episode: "Eight Misbehavin'"2002Macabre Theatre Eddie Munster5 episodes2009Life's a ButchHimself
Music videos Year Title Role Notes2019"I Am John 5"Himself
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