Screenshot: Netflix
Reviews of Netflix’s Addams Family spin-off Wednesday were mixed, but everyone agreed on one thing: Jenny Ortega’s unapologetically goofy dance scene was incredible. Unfortunately, note that I said “might” — your enthusiasm may wane when you learn she filmed the scene while she had the coronavirus.
If you’ve come to believe that Ortega kept quiet about her illness in order to continue filming and brazenly endangering her co-stars and crew, please jump back. As Ortega revealed in an interview with NME (which was originally published on November 10 but has garnered a lot more attention in recent days, including in Variety), she was unaware that she was diagnosed with Covid during filming until later she knew she was ill:
“Yes, I woke up and – it’s strange, I never get sick and when I do it’s not too bad – I had body aches. I felt like I had been hit by a car and like a little goblin had been let loose in my throat and scratched the walls of my esophagus. They gave me medication between takes because we were waiting for the positive result.” According to the magazine, this was in accordance with producer MGM’s “strict Covid protocols” on Wednesday and “once the positive test was confirmed, the production removed Jenna from the set “.
It’s very strange to me that these protocols allowed Ortega to continue filming while they awaited the test results, but we don’t know what other security measures the Netflix show may or may not have taken to ensure the safety of its other employees guarantee. We’ve contacted Netflix to request more information and will update this article when we receive feedback.
Whatever the results, don’t blame Ortega — if she took a test and crew members repeatedly gave her medication, many people on set would know she was ill and still put her in front of the camera. Protocol or not, someone should have known better.
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