Jenna Ortega opens up about her hectic Wednesday filming schedule, claiming that she barely slept and began pulling her hair out due to stress.
Jenna Ortega opens up about her hectic Wednesday filming schedule. Wednesday is a spin-off of Charles Addams’ The Addams Family comics, starring Ortega as the eponymous dead-panned youngster with psychic abilities. Wednesday was a major success, surpassing Netflix’s viewership record for most hours seen in a single week for an English-speaking TV program, with over 1 billion viewing hours to date. It was created by Miles Millar and Al Gough, with four episodes directed by Tim Burton. Wednesday, which stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman as Wednesday’s mother and father, Morticia and Gomez Addams, follows the cynical, melancholy teen as she is sent to Nevermore Academy boarding school to work on a strange murder investigation.
Jenna Ortega outlines Wednesday’s grueling filming schedule at a Netflix Q&A conference, according to Variety. Ortega frankly says that she broke down sobbing regularly while filming to express how hard it was for her.
Why Jenna Ortega Is the Ideal Wednesday Due to Her Dedication
While there have been several variations of The Addams Family, Ortega’s stunning portrayal as the sarcastic teen on Wednesday brought the concept back to life for a new audience. Ortega demonstrated she is the ideal match for the legendary character, solidifying her place in pop culture alongside Christina Ricci’s Wednesday from the Addams Family flicks of the 1990s. Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday is multifaceted, providing a more emotional, accessible side to her without compromising her snarky personality. She received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for her performance. Ortega guarantees that Wednesday can be serious and somber, as well as youthful and lighthearted, all while maintaining a straight face.
Ortega’s devotion to Wednesday extended beyond merely memorizing lines from a screenplay; she aspired to perfect the same skill set as her fictitious character, including learning to play the cello. Ortega declined to utilize a body double in most instances because he wanted the program to be as authentic as possible. For the part, Ortega also mastered fencing, archery, and cannoning, which he executed brilliantly on-screen. Even more memorable, Ortega crafted her now-iconic Wednesday dance routine, which equally horrified her, as she has acknowledged to have regrets that have kept her up at night since. Ortega skillfully distinguished this Wednesday’s performance from Ricci’s prior beloved performance, with her various abilities and new look.
While Ortega confesses that filming on Wednesday was tough and emotionally demanding at times, it appears that her hard work and devotion paid off. Not only has the role established her as one of Hollywood’s most fascinating and developing young stars, but it has also insured that a Wednesday season 2 is on the way. While the next episode is likely to be a year or two away, Ortega will have plenty of time to learn and improve in preparation for a larger and better Wednesday season 2.
