Jenna Ortega is brutally honest when it comes to Wednesday, her hit Netflix series, which is the most-watched English-language Netflix series of all time, second only to Stranger Things 4. In a recent interview with The Times UK, Ortega revealed that she didn’t particularly want the role of Wednesday Addams. She even turned down multiple offers to star in a breakthrough role.
“I received and forwarded the email,” Ortega said. “I had done so much TV in my life. All I’ve ever wanted to do is film… You have to prove yourself. It’s only in the last three or four years that I’ve been able to start moving into film. I was afraid that signing on to another TV show would prevent me from doing other jobs that I really wanted and cared about.”
“The only reason I went back is because of Tim [Burton, director and executive producer of ‘Wednesday’] is such a legend and we happened to hit it off really well,” added Ortega. “But even then I was like, ‘Ah, no — I think I’m fine,’ a couple [more] just.”
Ortega never expected “Wednesday” to become such a global phenomenon. “I thought it wouldn’t be observed,” she said. “That it’ll be a nice little gem someone finds, but [most people don’t].”
When asked by the Times if “that would be preferable,” Ortega replied, “Yeah.”
“I did a Disney show when I was younger,” Ortega said. “I was a bit of a socialite, used to being recognized or whatever. Looking back I think I was so out of place. I didn’t understand where I was and you were starting to see Hollywood for the first time and it was a little bit intimidating, a little bit off-putting. I felt like a people’s princess. I wasn’t really feeling like myself. Then it started to slow down and I lived a pretty normal life…until ‘Wednesday’ until now I think.”
During an appearance on the “Armchair Expert” podcast earlier this month, Ortega revealed that she defied much of Wednesday’s dialogue and changed her lines on set without telling the show’s writers beforehand.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had to push as hard on a set as I did on ‘Wednesday,'” Ortega said. “Everything that Wednesday does, everything that I had to play, made no sense at all to her character. That she’s in a love triangle? It made no sense. There was a line about a dress she has to wear to a prom and she’s like, ‘Oh my god I love it. Ugh, I can’t believe I said that. I literally hate myself.” I had to go, ‘No’.”
Ortega continued, “There were times on set where I even got almost unprofessional in a way, where I just started switching lines. The script supervisor thought I was up to something, and then I had to sit down with the writers and they said, ‘Wait, what happened to the scene?’ And I would have to go and explain why I couldn’t do certain things.”
“Wednesday” has been renewed for Season 2 by Netflix.