Family and friends of 7-foot-tall actor Carel Struycken, best known for portraying Lurch in the 1990s Addams Family movies, are helping the actor and his wife Tracey after their home was destroyed in the L.A. wildfires.
The couple safely fled their home near Altadena when the Eaton Fire, one of several wildfires that raged throughout Southern California, started blazing toward them.
Unfortunately, like many other homeowners who also fled from the Pacific Palisades wildfire that was simultaneously raging approximately 40 miles west, their home was burned to the ground.
After learning the Struyckens lost everything amidst the natural crisis, their son-in-law Michael Anspach set up a GoFundMe page with a description that read:
"On the evening of Tuesday, January 7, 2025, my in-laws looked outside to see flames coming over the ridge near their Altadena, CA home."
"They quickly grabbed a few essential items and fled. The following day, their fears were confirmed: their home of 12+ years had been destroyed by the Eaton Fire."
"Many of you know my father-in-law, Carel," wrote Anspach and mentioned some of the actor's notable credits that also include Star Trek: The Next Generation and Men In Black. He also noted that Struycken was a "skilled photographer and digital image editor."
Anspach continued:
"My mother-in-law, Tracey, is a dedicated family medicine doctor who works extremely hard. She's a model mom and grandmother."
The fundraiser's description concluded with:
"We're so very thankful they were able to safely escape the oncoming blaze, but like so many others, they lost everything to the Eaton Fire. Please keep Carel, Tracey, and all those affected by the fires in your thoughts and prayers."
Anspach, who has been married to Carel and Tracey's daughter for 11 years and has known the Struyckens for more than 22 years, wasn't the only person to seek assistance on behalf of his in-laws.
Andrea Watrouse, an actor who worked with Struycken in 2017's Twin Peaks: The Return, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) asking for clothing donations that would fit Struycken's tall frame and added his specific measurements for guidance.
Social media users sprang into action.
Watrouse added a follow-up post explaining that Struycken's son was getting married in March and that the actor was unable to have appropriate attire made in time.
"So if anyone can donate something formal it would be greatly appreciated!" wrote Watrouse, adding, "He is also in need of daily wear clothes to live and run errands in."
She also referred to Anspach's GoFundMe campaign as an additional source for offering aid.
As of Saturday, January 25, Anspach's campaign has reached $69,407 of its $75,000 goal.
