Jenna Ortega Couldn't Help But Go 'A Little Method' For Wednesday
It turns out that "Wednesday" is a great day for Jenna Ortega. The "Scream" star took on one of the most iconic roles in pop culture and might have even done a better job than her co-star and former member of "The Addams Family," Christina Ricci. Elevating the latest take on the teenage terror who won't be seen in anything but black, it's clear she gave the gig her all, and fans were over the moon with the results in the Tim Burton-produced show. What's surprising, however, is just how much she committed to the role to bring Wednesday Addams to life.
It was recently revealed that Ortega took a simple but incredibly effective detail of not blinking during scenes to amplify Wednesday's extra kooky character that others just couldn't handle. She also researched how to handle her goth moves when it came to Wednesday taking to the dancefloor in a solo sequence. It was this kind of dedication that showrunner Alfred Gough caught sight of very early on in the show's development, which he believed was veering onto a level that only a few actors have reached.
Jenna Ortega took a firm stance in bringing Wednesday to life
In an interview with Variety, Alfred Gough explained just how Jenna Ortega bonded perfectly into place as the daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams (Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones, respectively) early on. "You met her on Zoom and you just kind of knew it," Gough recalled. "And then Tim [Burton] got on, and we all know it." It was only in a good old-fashioned face-to-face meeting that Gough was truly taken aback as to what kind of ideas Ortega had for the role and the quality that her take on Wednesday was going to deliver.
On his early encounter, Gough said, "I remember having lunch with her in with her when she was in Los Angeles, and she talked about her posture, and she talked about the not blinking." On that, she certainly delivered. The deadpan delivery, the carelessness to other characters, until the cracks start to show for the ones she cares for. It was all there, and Gough appreciated what was required to get there. "I don't want to speak for Jenna, but I do think it's a role that in a weird way becomes a little method," he added. "You have to live in that space. And she's in 95% of the show." A pressured position? Certainly. Thankfully, in Ortega and Wednesday's case, some roles just click (click).