‘Wednesday’: Jenna Ortega Says She Relates to Her Character
With Tim Burton at the helm, Netflix will have a superhit on their hands with the forthcoming drama series Wednesday. Starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, the series is expected to expand the dark and angsty character and the world around her in a major way.
Ortega says she even relates to the character and the coming-of-age story in a very real way.
Here’s what we know about Netflix’s ‘Wednesday
Wednesday Addams has always been a standout character in the Addams family. Now, she’s getting he own Netflix series. The official series description reads,
Wednesday is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting 16-year-old Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Season one will follow Wednesday as she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the murder mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
Jenna Ortega says she relates to her character
As the first Latina portrayal of Wednesday, Ortega has a lot riding on her shoulders, especially since audiences have to relate to the intense teen goth in a way they never had before. Still, the Jane the Virgin alum says she relates to her character on a deep level.
“I relate to her and I feel very similar to the way that she does,” Ortega told Rappler. “I feel like oftentimes I ostracize myself, I don’t know many people, I enjoy my solitude, we have a lot of the same interests. I think it’s really important for people to see, and especially, it’s really wonderful that she’s kind of the lead anti-hero and not just some side character. Freak representation is crucial and I think it’s really nice for them to be seen in a positive, disturbing light.”
Christina Ricci also stars in ‘Wednesday’
Ricci, whose breakout role was Wednesday Addams in the 1991 film The Addams Family starring Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia, also has a major role in the Netflix series. This time, she will be portraying Marilyn Thornhill, the only “normie” teacher at Nevermore Academy, who also happens to be Wednesday’s dorm mom.
Though Ortega has Ricci on set as a resource, the pair never actually discussed their differing portrayals of Wednesday; they wanted to ensure that they stood alone.
“We did not talk about Wednesday once,” Ortega told Rappler. “And it’s funny because I think the assumption was that there’s a part of me that really didn’t want to, and we met each other, and I think it was very clear that she really didn’t want to either. Our Wednesdays are very different, and if anything, I was just kind of more interested in where she was from and what her deal was, and what her experience was. I think we relate a lot, and I think we got along really well.” Jenna added,
When you don’t talk about the fact that, yeah, she’s been in the same exact get-up as you before, it makes it a lot easier to do your scenes and treat each other like regular people and not somebody you looked up to your entire life.
