Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Hair Took A Lot Of Experimentation To Get Right
Since their debut over 80 years ago, "The Addams Family" has been an essential part of pop culture (via Smithsonian Magazine). These Charles Addams creations represent the unwavering spirit of those who go against mainstream conventions. Instead, they embrace their unique and never-dull life outside the usual suburban tropes. Inspiring everything from memes to merchandise, they've also maintained a level of recognition across generations.
Netflix's new series "Wednesday" gives the young Addams her own adventure away from the popular family. The character is sent — very much against her will — to study at Nevermore Academy. What follows is a murder mystery and a host of new friends with interesting backgrounds. The Tim Burton project sees the director helm four episodes, but its story hits close to home. "It just spoke to me about how I felt in school and how you feel about your parents, how you feel as a person," Burton told Empire. His interest in the series went even further — venturing into the main character's look.
Each Addams Family member is known for their distinctive style, and Wednesday is no different. She's also breaking away from the look so many have become familiar with over the years. Series star Jenna Ortega is speaking out on the long process to get everything right, and there's one element that was especially tricky for Burton and the actress.
Jenna Ortega played a major role in deciding the character's hairstyle
The earliest discussions about Wednesday's look led Tim Burton to search for something different. Jenna Ortega spoke to Teen Vogue about the challenges the pair had in establishing the hairstyle that so many associate with the character. He wanted an update to those classic braids, but this turned out to be a tough process filled with experimentation.
According to the star, a makeup test at Burton's place in London helped the team come up with something special. "Short, tiny braids ... really long, thick braids ... We just tried all different variations," she said. Among their most interesting attempts included a silver streak that would accentuate the character's pitch-black hair.
Burton would also find the hairdresser's idea of a fringe interesting to the character's look. For Ortega, it just didn't feel right. All of that led the actress to suggest the hairstyle viewers see in the final product. She suggested actually cutting her hair to achieve the bangs and braids. "Hey, if we have time to grow it out, we have time to grow it out," the actress said. The results are something Ortega said Burton loved. It's something that the team locked into going forward with the project.