Wednesday and Jenna Ortega were the talk of the town when The Addams-Family spin-off hit Netflix in 2022. From her viral dance to gothic clothes, we’ve been discussing this series for a while. However, one section of the discourse that has caused some controversy is around comments the actress made about changing lines in the scripts. Now, she’s gone into detail about why she felt the need to put her “foot down” on set and make changes to her character that she felt were necessary.
A few months after Wednesday took over the internet, Jenna Ortega opened up about changes she made to her character. The actress explained on Armchair Expert that she became “unprofessional, in a sense,” because she started changing lines on set. This comment, plus what she said on The Tonight Show about aspects of the show that “made no sense” to her caused backlash.
Writers roasted her during the strike by referencing what the Scream VI said on their picket signs, and a Daredevil producer went on a tirade about her, calling her statement “entitled and toxic.” Now, the actress, who is also a producer on Season 2 of the Netflix hit, has gone into detail about why she felt like she needed to put her “foot down” on set while speaking during a roundtable with THR. She said:
I feel really, really fortunate to be coming on as a producer this time around...Any of the best teams or environments that I’ve been on on set have been people who are very collaborative and wanted to hear different opinions because it’s very easy for people to get caught up in their own. I think a project is best when there’s as many voices and ideas thrown out as possible. And I’ve had experiences in TV where I felt my voice wasn’t heard, that I was meant to be a puppet.
She continued to talk about growing up on sets, explaining what she’s been told when she wanted to have input on her character. Then Ortega spoke about how she was able to collaborate with Tim Burton and the writers to really help shape Wednesday Addams. She said:
I’ve been told on sets, ‘You wouldn’t know because you’re not a writer,’ or, ‘Just shut up and do your job.’ From 12 years old, I’ve been hearing things like that. So, I went into Wednesday with a really big hesitance. But I was fortunate to be working with someone like Tim Burton, who pulled me in his trailer one day and said that he wanted to be a soundboard for my voice. So, every day, me, him, the writers, we’d get together in the morning and go through sides. But also being younger, being a woman, being of smaller stature …
Jenna Ortega has been open about the challenges on Wednesday. She’s spoken about how she was “scared” and almost passed on the Addams Family spin-off. The actress has also explained how hard shooting Wednesday was as she worked tons of hours, learned lots of new skills, and she was trying to help shape her character. Continuing to talk about why she felt the need to speak up about how her character was written, the Golden Globe-nominated performer said:
But I think that because I’m someone who is very opinionated or because I know what it’s like to be a people pleaser in this industry, and I know how unhappy or how frustrating it’s been in the past, when I went into Wednesday I really put my foot down and made it clear that everything that I had to say mattered and was heard. And as the show went on, we all got a better feel for one another and it’s become a really collaborative experience, and I feel really lucky to be able to be in the room early next season and be talking about scripts and giving notes.
As Wednesday moves into Season 2, Jenna Ortega is set to both star and produce making it clear that she’s excited to be involved with her character’s future from the jump. Based on her comments, it also seems like she has a good relationship with the writers and Tim Burton on the Netflix show, so I’m excited to see what comes of their work on the new installment of the megahit.
While Season 2 of Wednesday likely won’t premiere on the 2023 TV schedule, it’s been renewed and is on the way. In the meantime, you can stream Season 1 with a Netflix subscription.
