What Is This Thing Called Thing?

In “The Addams Family,” Christopher Hart’s “Thing” is all in his hand--the right one.

Because he’s been a professional magician since age 14, his long, shapely hand is flexible and dexterous from years of doing sleight of hand, including an act he developed a couple of years ago with a disembodied ladies’ mannequin hand clothed in a red satin glove.

“I got intrigued with magic when I was 9,” the 30-year-old Hart explains, “from watching ‘The Magician’ with Bill Bixby. I loved it that he went around the world and solved crimes with magic. I joined a magic club which was a special post of the Boy Scouts, which really became a training ground for me.”

Hart also worked at the Hollywood Magic Shop as a teen-ager, demonstrating magic tricks. He eventually landed a job as one of magician David Copperfield’s magic roadies when he was 20. More recently, Hart has performed at the Magic Castle in Hollywood and does shows occasionally in Las Vegas.

When Hart heard about the audition he knew he wanted to do it. “A light went on inside me. I always watched the show when I was little. I really loved it. My uncle used to call me Lurch. I even worked in a cemetery digging graves when I was 16.”