The new Addams Family TV series Wednesday dropped on Netflix on November 23rd to positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Particular praise went to Jenna Ortega's performance in the lead role as Wednesday Addams.
Wednesday follows the only daughter of the Addams family as she is enrolled in the elusive Nevermore Academy, after being expelled from her previous school. Wednesday attempts to solve a murder mystery at the school while getting to grips with her newfound psychic powers. Given the widespread appeal and acclaim of the series, many viewers will be keen to learn more about the young star portraying Wednesday.
She Auditioned In Her Death Scene Makeup for X
At the time of auditioning for the show Wednesday, Jenna Ortega was in the middle of filming the acclaimed horror movie X in New Zealand. The actress auditioned for Tim Burton long-distance over Zoom, but because she was in the middle of shooting, Jenna didn't have time to remove the makeup used in her death scene in the movie.
"When I met with Tim Burton for Wednesday, I had stage blood and glycerin sweat in my hair and a massive cut on my face and had been up for over 24 hours" Ortega revealed in a video for WIRED. Luckily, it actually worked for the audition, with her adding that "I got on Zoom and he actually laughed. It made me laugh. I thought it was endearing".
Ortega Was In Iron Man 3
When she was only 11 years old, Jenna Ortega had a minor supporting role in the MCU in the movie Iron Man 3 (2013). The actress only appeared briefly in one scene, as the daughter of the Vice President Rodriguez, who partners up with the film's antagonist, Killian, under the promise to cure his daughter's disability.
Jenna Ortega joins a small club of other actors - such as Jenna Coleman and Kate Mara - who were still relatively unknown when they portrayed a small role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These future stars would likely be recast or be offered much larger roles now, having become much more recognizable actors.
She Learned To Play Cello For Wednesday
Wednesday Addams' cello music is prominently featured in the Netflix series, as well as being a prominent instrument in the iconic Addams Family theme song. The large string instrument has a rather gothic sound to it when played in a certain style, which is perfect for the interests of Wednesday Addams.
In order to be authentic when playing the instrument, Jenna Ortega learned to play the cello when she was cast as Wednesday, two months before shooting started. "I probably couldn’t play too well now just because I’ve been away from home so much working, but it is something that I want to continue to purse. I have immense respect for anybody who plays the cello, I think it’s such a delightful instrument," the actress said.
She Played A Young Version Of One Of Her Favorite Actors
From the age of 12, Jenna Ortega played a younger version of the protagonist, Jane Villanueva, in the hit CW series Jane The Virgin. Playing Gina Rodriguez's Golden Globe-winning role as a child was one of Ortega's first big roles. Even better, Ortega got to play the younger version of an actress she genuinely looked up to.
In an interview from when she was 15 years old, a younger Jenna cited Rodriguez as an early inspiration as a young actress beginning her career. “I always get to see her on set, and she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I love her so much. Every time I see her, she gives me some life lesson," Jenna revealed (via People).
She Didn't Talk To Christina Ricci About Playing Wednesday
Fans of The Addams Family movies from the 1990s will be delighted to see the return of Christina Ricci in Wednesday, who previously played the role of Wednesday Addams. This time, Ricci plays another character, Marilyn Thornhill, a botany teacher at Wednesday's school.
When Jenna Ortega took on the role of Wednesday, she wanted there to be a clear difference between her and Christina Ricci's Wednesday portrayals. "I think when [Ricci] was on set, neither one of us said Wednesday once to each other," Jenna stated, explaining that "I didn't want to rip her off, and I didn't want to be too much like her" (via Entertainment Weekly).
She's Proud That Wednesday Is A Latina Character
When the casting for Wednesday was first revealed, there was some backlash online for the casting of people of color in roles typically given to white actors. In particular, Jenna Ortega's casting as Wednesday and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams was subject to criticism - despite the fact that Gomez is a Hispanic name and Raúl Juliá, perhaps the most well-known portrayal of Gomez, was Puerto Rican.
Ortega was, thankfully, unfazed by online trolling and asserted that the change to the character is actually more accurate. "Wednesday is technically a Latina character and that's never been represented," Jenna explained, highlighting Gomez as her father. "So for me, any time that I have an opportunity to represent my community, I want that to be seen," she added (via PopBuzz).
She's Considered A Scream Queen By Horror Fans
Wednesday is far from Jenna Ortega's first venture into a gothic role. The actress has previously starred in multiple horror movies in her short career so far - including X, Scream 5, and The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and her partnership with director Tim Burton on Wednesday is only the latest in a long line of horror.
Fans of horror movies consider Ortega a scream queen - a female actor known for their powerful performances across the horror genre. Ortega, already a proven talented actress, has played the final girl roles on several occasions and been in some acclaimed films in the genre, making a strong case for being one of the best new scream queens of the past decade.
She's Rumored To Be Joining The Daredevil Revival
The MCU television series Daredevil, formerly on Netflix, is set to return in a new series on Disney+, titled Daredevil: Born Again. Much of the original cast is set to reprise their roles in the series - along with some new faces. According to various reports, Jenna Ortega is in talks to play White Tiger in the series (via Giant Freakin Robot).
If true, Ortega will join an exclusive club of actors who were recast into another MCU role, having previously appeared in the universe in a small role in Iron Man 3. Fans of Wednesday and Marvel movies will be keen to see if this casting rumor is true, which may come true after Wednesday's positive reception.
She's Written A Book
Many famous actors have ventured into writing books - from memoirs to fiction books. One unexpected actor to try their hand as an author is Jenna Ortega - another addition to her impressive list of talents at the young age of 20 years old.
In 2020, when she was just 18, Jenna released her first book, It's All Love: Reflections For Your Heart & Soul. The book is full of personal accounts about her life, as well as chapters about faith, manifestation, and improving mental health (via Headline Planet).
She Was "Terrified" About Playing Wednesday
Despite her previous horror roles, as well as her seemingly effortless performance, Jenna Ortega was almost reluctant to step into the role of Wednesday Addams with Christina Ricci also starring on the show. The character first made her on-screen appearance on television in the 1960s, and the role has been portrayed by many actresses since, so there were high expectations to meet from fans, as well as Ricci, as her performance as Wednesday is iconic.
When Ortega was told that Ricci was joining Wednesday, the actor revealed she "genuinely felt like I was genuinely having a panic attack". "I was terrified. She’s a really cool lady. I was fine meeting her, but the first time we did a scene together, and she had to see me done up the way she was done up 30 years ago, it was nerve-racking", Ortega added (via Empire).