Butch Patrick, the youngest star of The Munsters, talks fame at 11-years-old. The sitcom, which premiered on CBS back in 1964, observed a family of monsters, including Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s creature, who move from Transylvania to the fictional American town of Mockingbird Heights. Patrick portrayed Eddie Munster, a werewolf and only child of Herman and Lily, and was a main character throughout the series’ brief run. The rest of the show’s cast included Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Beverly Owen and Pat Priest.

During an interview with Remind Magazine, Patrick discussed being a part of The Munsters at such a young age. The actor noted how, “everybody knew I was Eddie Munster,” and revealed what his experience was like at school. Read Patrick’s comments regarding the fame associated with The Munsters below:

"When I went back to school, everybody knew I was Eddie Munster. I was very small and, kids being kids, that caused quite a stir and disrupted the student body. Instead of me being able to go about my business, there would be 30, 40, 50 kids that would surround me. At lunch it would be more, and some of them seemed to always want to start a problem. It taught me to have thick skin."

Butch Patrick Remains Connected To The Munsters

The Munsters found success shortly after its debut, earning higher ratings than The Addams Family, so an increase in attention makes sense, especially concerning someone as young as Patrick. Since the actor mentioned the effects of fame, and how some of his peers treated him at school, it's worth wondering what his experience was like compared to that of other child stars. Despite its popularity though, the series was canceled after only two seasons as viewership shifted towards Batman in 1966.

Through syndication, The Munsters continued to reach new audiences and eventually became a franchise, generating movies and television shows based on the material. Following the show's cancelation, Patrick appeared in Munster, Go Home! and played a small role in the 2022 film, directed by Rob Zombie. The actor voiced Tin Can Man, who officiated the wedding between Herman and Lily.

Following The Munsters, Patrick starred in episodes of I Dream of Jeannie, Lidsville, The Smith Family, and more. He also began a YouTube channel called All Things Munsters, where he could further discuss his experiences, however, his most recent upload was a year ago. It is interesting to hear about what fame was like during that time in Patrick's life and his comments reveal some of what he went through outside of the show.

Source: Remind Magazine