Jenna Ortega Kept Rewriting Wednesday's Dialogue Without Consulting The Writers
If you're Wednesday Addams (or embodying her for Tim Burton's Netflix series), one thing's certain; no one can make you say or do anything that doesn't align with you. For Jenna Ortega, it was not only vital to commit to her, but it was as important to advocate for Wednesday, how she would move through life and protect the character from any misaligned creative choices.
Here are a few things we've learned about Wednesday: She doesn't like to be touched, doesn't like color, is fiercely loyal, is a kick-ass cellist, and enjoys dancing. Things that were not on the table, especially for Jenna Ortega, included excitedly raving about fashion and finding herself in a love triangle. That's not to say that Wednesday lacks style or is undeserving of romance; quite the opposite! But Ortega knew that her character would react in a very specific way, and that wasn't always reflected in the script.
'I don't think I've ever had to put my foot down more'
In an interview on Dax Shepherd's podcast "Armchair Expert" (via Variety), Jenna Ortega discussed how she grabbed the reins when it came to deciding what was best for her titular character. "I don't think I've ever had to put my foot down more on a set in a way that I had to on 'Wednesday,'" she explained. "Everything that Wednesday does, everything I had to play, did not make sense for her character at all. Her being in a love triangle? It made no sense. There was a line about a dress she has to wear for a school dance and she says, 'Oh my god I love it. Ugh, I can't believe I said that. I literally hate myself.' I had to go, 'No.'"
She continued, "There were times on that set where I even became almost unprofessional in a sense where I just started changing lines. The script supervisor thought I was going with something and then I had to sit down with the writers, and they'd be like, 'Wait, what happened to the scene?' And I'd have to go and explain why I couldn't go do certain things."
'There have never been so many cooks in the kitchen'
In a separate discussion with Christina Ricci and Interview Magazine, Jenna Ortega discussed how Tim Burton's vision for "Wednesday" had the lead character a bit more emotionally flat, which aligns with the idea that Wednesday is coded as neurodivergent. However, in tandem with contributions from other directors working on the show, Ortega was left reeling from contradictory creative demands. Eventually, it got to a point where the "Wednesday" actor had to put her foot down. "[...] I felt like people didn't always trust me when I was creating my path in terms of, 'Okay, this is her arc. This is where she gets emotional.'" She expanded:
"There have never been so many cooks in the kitchen. I was completely lost and confused. Typically I have no problem using my voice, but when you're in it — I just remember feeling defeated after the first month. So I think something really wonderful that has come out of the show is that I can use my voice in a much stronger way than I ever have. I've been so much better about being honest about my opinions and thoughts, which I'm really grateful for."
While the first season's production may have left Ortega's head spinning, "Wednesday" has officially been renewed for a second season, and the lead has made her wishes known. In a conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Ortega noted that she not only hopes for the show to get a little darker, but wants Wednesday's character to stop playing it safe. We'll have to wait and see if Ortega needs to head into battle again to defend Wednesday's honor, so stay tuned.