Jenna Ortega reveals why she “put her foot on the gas” on Wednesday

Wednesday Star Jenna Ortega had to “put her foot in” to salvage the script and her character on the hit Netflix show.

The series traces the origin story of Wednesday, member of the Addams Family, as she is forced to navigate boarding school with her bespoke grumpy demeanor and love each other while solving a murder mystery.

The show was an instant success, becoming the second most-streamed English-language series on the platform and getting the green light for a second season.

Although there is no official confirmation as to whether Ortega will be an executive producer, rumors have been strong about it. Speaking of armchair expert Podcast, she shared the battles she fought to make Wednesday the character we know and love.

“When I first signed on to the show, I didn’t have all the scripts. I thought it would get a lot darker. It wasn’t … I didn’t know what the tone was like or what the score would sound like,” she said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had to push as hard on a set as I did on set Wednesday. Everything [she] everything I had to play didn’t make any sense to her character at all. That she’s in a love triangle? It made no sense.”

Ortega is referencing the heavily criticized plot choice of throwing Wednesday into a love triangle with fellow student Xavier (Percy Hynes White) and Tyler – played by our gay star Hunter Doohan – who is the local sheriff’s son.

Fans felt the dynamic felt forced and that it would have been better to either keep her away from romantic acts or set her up with someone she actually had chemistry with, such as the sparkling werewolf roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Meyers).

However, that wasn’t the only part of the script that Ortega had a problem with.

She continued, “There was a line about a dress she has to wear to a prom and she was like, ‘Oh my god, I love it. Ugh, I can’t believe I said that. I literally hate myself.” I had to go, ‘No.’

“There were times on this set where I even got almost unprofessional in a sense when I just started switching lines.

“The script supervisor thought I was up to something, so I had to sit down with the writers and they said, ‘Wait, what happened to the scene?’ And I would have to explain why I couldn’t do certain things.”

Jenna Ortega’s plan was to set Wednesday apart from the stereotypical morbid teenager with no emotional character gain.

“I’ve become very, very protective of her,” Ortega said. “You can’t have a story and you can’t have an emotional arc because then it’s boring and nobody likes you. When you’re little and you say very morbid, insulting things, it’s funny and endearing. But then you become a teenager and it’s bad and you know it. There are fewer excuses.”

It’s something she reiterated when speaking to Interview Magazine. “[Director Tim Burton] didn’t want me to have any expression or feeling at all. He wanted a flat surface, which I understand. It’s funny and great except when you’re trying to advance a plot and Wednesday is in every scene.

“There were a lot of fights like that because I felt like people didn’t always trust me when I was crafting my path, in terms of ‘OK, that’s their slur. This is where she gets emotional.’”

Ortega, 20, is slowly gaining production experience, having just completed her work as an executive producer and filming romantic comedies winter spring summer or autumn for which a release date is not yet known.

And during an interview with Elle, she reiterated her distaste for incorporating romantic storylines into her work.

“I hate being googoogaga about a boy,” she said. “I think it’s secretly a matter of pride. It’s a problem with a lot of female characters that a lot of them are male oriented or what they express or feel is based on a man’s position and his story.”

Given that Ortega’s influence isn’t likely to grow until season two, fans are hoping that means Wenclair (Enid and Wednesday) still has a chance to become a reality.

Both Ortega and Myers have previously said they love the idea of ​​the two getting together.