Stepping into the role of an iconic character like Wednesday Addams would be a challenge for anyone, but in the eyes of many, Jenna Ortega has been a hit as the character. Now streaming on Netflix, Wednesday follows Ortega as an older teen version of Wednesday as she attends Nevermore Academy, using her psychic powers to uncover the school's darkest secrets. The reception had been largely positive, landing Wednesday with the second-highest score for the Addams Family franchise behind only the original TV series. Fans are also demanding Netflix renew the show for season 2.
People who worked on Wednesday have also been left impressed by Ortega. Gwendoline Christie has a sizable role in the series as Larissa Weems, and working directly with Ortega gave her an even better appreciation for the actress. Here's what Christie had to say about Ortega in a recent interview with ET Canada.
"I think that Jenna is truly exceptional in this role. She does a really incredible job. And she is an actress of great capability, and great dynamism, and really extraordinary force. She is an incredible force, and she brings her own inimitable fresh take on Wednesday. And we see more of Wednesday than we've ever seen before."
Gwendoline Christie Was Also Delighted to Work With Christina Ricci
Christie also mentions in the interview how she's long been a fan of The Addams Family, and in particular, the Wednesday Addams character. With such a longtime love for Wednesday, Christie is also certainly away of the previous performances of Christina Ricci in that role. Christie addressed what it was like to work with Ricci on a new Wednesday series as well, and as someone who is a big fan of Ricci's work both in the Addams Family franchise and elsewhere, it was basically a dream come true. As the actress explains:
"She's truly wonderful, Christina. She's such an icon, you know. She has an incredible body of work. I obviously loved her so much, and was really just captivated by this incredible actress that was inhabiting the character Wednesday Addams in just a perfect way. And she's had an extraordinary career and really done some fabulously out there work, as well as in a more mainstream context as well. So I was a big admirer of her work. She is a hoot, and a real blast, and I had such a great time. We are now friends. It was a dream, it was a true dream."
Wednesday is streaming on Netflix.