‘Wednesday’: Jenna Ortega Says a Lot of What Happened on the Set Was Improvised
Netflix’s latest hit TV show is Wednesday. Based on the character who became a pop culture icon because of 1991’s The Addams Family, this series puts the angsty teen in the center. Starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, the series focuses on the 16-year-old outcast as she tries to solve a dangerous mystery and fit into her new school
Tim Burton helmed half of the series, and Ortega says much of what is seen on screen was actually improvised at the moment.
Jenna Ortega portrays Wednesday Addams in the new Netflix series
In the new Netflix series Wednesday, Ortega portrays the titular character. At 16, Wednesday doesn’t exactly fit in with normies, and her parents enroll her at their alma mater, Nevermore Academy, for a chance at finding her tribe.
The official description for the new TV show 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 a lot was improvised on set
When it came to working with Tim Burton, who served as an executive producer on the series and directed the first four episodes, no day was the same as another. In fact, much of what happened on set was improvised at the moment.
Burton just kind of “wung’ it” Ortega told Rappler. She explained,
It came so naturally to him. We didn’t have a shot list, we would go to set and we didn’t know what we’d be doing that day and he kind of just made it up on the spot. For certain things to turn out as beautiful as they did or as funny as they were, I think it’s just a testament to how much of a true artist he is and it’s really wonderful to experience that firsthand.
From seeing how beautiful and well-done Wednesday is, audiences will certainly think that Burton had things planned out to perfection.
Jenna Ortega says playing Wednesday was terrifying
As eager as the 20-year-old actor was to step into the role. Some aspects of portraying Wednesday left her terrified.
“Especially working with someone like Tim Burton for the first time, who is a legend…you know you never really know what to expect, and you want to do a good job, and I respect this character so much I just wanted to do her right,” she told Rappler.
Still, once she nailed down Wednesday’s fashion sense and her blank stare, Ortega absolutely nailed the role.
