Jenna Ortega fabulously pulled off the Wednesday Addams role in the quirkiest way possible in the hit Netflix series, Wednesday. The acclaimed streaming series paved a new way in the actress’ career trajectory, but if you think that her role is the only thing that gives off a weirdo vibe, you’re partially wrong.
Before securing the role in the acclaimed series, she took a different approach to auditioning for the sardonic character, which involved showing up with blood (fake) on her!
Jenna Ortega Recounted Her Wednesday Audition
Created by Tim Burton based on The Addams Family character of Wednesday Addams, the Netflix series witnessed widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The show also gave Jenna Ortega a significant push in her career as the character became synonymous with the promising star.
It is well known that the actress was initially hesitant to approach the project due to her past work in television. Although she was aiming to work in films, she became interested in hearing Burton’s attachment to the project.
However, when she came to audition for the role, her circumstances were far from normal as the actress gave her audition via a Zoom call with the director, right after shooting a bloody scene in X.
Explaining to The Wired, she recalled that she gave the Netflix show’s audition after filming her death scene in the slasher movie, during which she was covered in blood.
I got a gunshot to the head. Yeah, I just had to lay in the corner dead with a prosthetic on my face that gave me a cut.
She commented that the audition turned out to be rather “funny,” as she stated,
It was funny because, when I met Tim Burton for my “Wednesday” audition, I had just finished doing that. So, I had stage blood and glycerin sweat in my hair, a massive cut on my face, and had been up for over 24 hours. I got on the Zoom, and he actually laughed. It made me laugh. I thought it was endearing.
Her weird look seemed to have contributed to doing wonders as the actress ended up nabbing the titular role. However, it was her acting prowess that convinced everyone that she was right for the role.
The Wednesday Creative Team Was Highly Impressed With Jenna Ortega’s Skills
In last year’s interview with BT TV, Miles Millar, the co-creator behind the acclaimed show, reflected on the Scream actress’s casting in the titular role. Millar claimed that the creative team was impressed when they witnessed her acting on Zoom as “nobody else on this planet” could embody the character like Ortega did.
Even the executive producer Burton has positive remarks for the young actress, whom he described as “one of the most talented” stars he has ever worked with.
She’s like a silent movie actress in the sense that she’s able to convey things without words. Her words are very strong, and she’s got a very strong point of view, but to show the subtleties underneath that was very, very exciting.
He continued,
It’s exciting to see Wednesday as an older character. We usually see Wednesday as a younger girl, and so it was exciting to explore those weird feelings you have as a teenager that sometimes never really leave you. Jenna just gives it a real reality, which is fun.
The actress surely captivated everyone’s hearts with her iconic portrayal, which is another reason that the show is returning with a second season. As of now, not many details about the second season have been made public, but the show has officially entered production, as per Tudum.
Whereas, the first season can be streamed on Netflix.
