Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Co-Stars Have Nothing But Praise For Her Acting Skills
The Addams Family is a quirky group to say the very least and it can be tricky to pick a favorite from the eccentric bunch. Whether you're a fan of Cousin Itt, Uncle Fester, or even secretly crush on Morticia Addams (can't blame you), there's no shortage of creepy, kooky characters to love from the Charles Addams-created franchise. For many fans, however, the best member of the Addams Family is one of its youngest — that being the delightfully devilish Wednesday Addams. It's hard to hate the hilariously morbid daughter of the Addams Family through her numerous interpretations, from the 1964 television adaptation to the 1990s live-action movie films to the MGM computer-animated films from 2019 and 2021.
And if you still feel like you don't have enough Wednesday Addams in your life, don't fret. A new pair of jet-black pigtails are slated to arrive on Netflix this Thanksgiving weekend with the first season of "Wednesday," starring Jenna Ortega as the titular character. The show, created by Tim Burton, will follow Wednesday as she attends a new school and uncovers a mystery that sets her on a wild new ride. For fans of Wednesday Addams, the show is an exciting chance to see a new side of the beloved character as she will finally be front-and-center in the weird and wild world of Tim Burton. But what will ultimately determine this Wednesday's merits will be what Jenna Ortega brings to the table. Thankfully, according to her cast members, she brings more than enough.
Ortega searched for the heart of her character
Jenna Ortega had a lot on her plate as Wednesday Addams in the upcoming Netflix series "Wednesday." Portraying such a beloved character from an equally iconic franchise is a tall task and many of her co-stars were impressed by how well she succeeded. In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Catherine Zeta-Jones, who portrays Wednesday's mother, Morticia, complimented Ortega's skills, calling her to work with as a scene partner "easy because she's able to bring so much complexity." She went on to describe the intriguing relationship between the two aloof characters that the show will explore. "That was always fun," Zeta-Jones continued. "But I think any story would be great with this young actress."
Similarly, Luis Guzmán, who plays the head of the Addams Family household, Gomez, was amazed by what the young actress brought to the table. "Jenna was so focused. She was amazing, man," he explains. "She wouldn't settle for, 'OK, that was really good.' She would do it until she was satisfied with it — satisfied with the heart of that character ... I'll be honest with you, you don't [always] get that from 19-year-olds."
Ortega pushed herself in different ways, including performing an entire dance sequence shortly before discovering she was carrying COVID-19, as she told NME. Between her own dedication and the love from her co-stars, it seems that this Wednesday is full of surprises.