David Weston/ANL/Shutterstock
Legendary Comedian Lou Costello Was a Father of 4: Everything to Know About His Children
As one half of the iconic comedy duo Abbott and Costello, Lou Costello’s popularity rose in the ‘50s as a box office sensation. His work has withstood the test of time and created a legacy that his two surviving children continue to carry on. Keep scrolling to learn more about the Hollywood icon’s kids.
Who Are Lou Costello’s Children?
Lou married his wife, Anne Battler, in 1934. The pair welcomed their first child together, daughter Patricia “Paddy” Costello, in 1936. Their second child, daughter Carole, arrived in 1938. Their son, Lou “Butch” Costello Jr., was born in 1942. The couple became parents once more with the arrival of their fourth child, Christine “Chris” Costello, in 1949.
Who Is Patricia ‘Paddy’ Costello
Paddy appeared during an episode of This Is Your Life in 1956. Other than that, Lou and Anne’s eldest child has remained out of the spotlight for the most part. In 2010, she found out that a local public school in Manhattan Beach, California, was doing a performance of her father’s “Who’s on First” comedy routine. She decided to attend the play in honor of her dad.
“Nothing would please my dad more than for something like this to occur,” she told Easy Reader & Peninsula that year. “I know that for a fact. He loved children.”
Who Is Christine ‘Chris’ Costello?
Chris snagged a role in the 1987 film Code Name Zebra. She also appeared in several documentaries about her father and Bud Abbott’s comedy act over the years. Lou died in 1959 at the age of 52 after suffering a heart attack. Chris recalled meeting up with Bud after her father’s heartbreaking death.
“We were sitting in the living room and Abbott and Costello came on,” she told Closer in August 2022. “Bud’s eyes filled with tears. He looked at me and said, ‘I just miss my buddy.’”
The California native maintains that her father was friends with his longtime comedy partner until the very end.
“They were together 21 years and had their disagreements,” she revealed, “but it never meant that they hated each other.”
What Happened to Lou ‘Butch’ Costello Jr.?
In 1943, one year after he was born, Lou Jr. drowned in the family swimming pool. The Little Giant actor was left devastated by his son’s death. He started the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation in honor of his son, a recreation center offering programs for local youth in Los Angeles.
“They went on tour to raise money for the foundation,” Chris said about Lou and Bud’s efforts to get the organization up and running.
What Happened to Carole Costello?
Carole had a taste for show business just like her father. She made cameos in two of his movies Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy and Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops in 1955. She also worked as a talent coordinator on several series including Trivia Trap and Card Sharks. Carole was married to Dean Martin’s son Craig Martin. She died in 1987 after suffering a stroke.
