This week sees Jenna Ortega make her debut as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s new Addams Family spin-off series, Wednesday. From director Tim Burton, the show promises to be a new take on the classic character in more ways that one. While this will be an older Wednesday to previous iterations, for Ortega, it is also about bringing something to the character that has usually never been addressed – her Latin heritage. Speaking to TV Times, Ortega said:
“I watched the movies when I was nine years old, but didn’t watch the 1960s TV show until later. I’ve been compared to Wednesday my entire life. I think that it’s because I tend to be very dry and monotone. But I was so nervous about playing her because I wanted to do her justice. She’s also a Latina character and that’s never been represented, so I had an opportunity to give other girls that look like me some relatability.”
Ortega’s comments do ring true, as the daughter of Morticia and Gomez has never really been depicted as being half-Latina. Addressing this is just one of the changes that Addams Family fans will see in the new series, with another new angle being her age. As Ortega continued:
“We’ve never seen Wednesday at this age before. I wanted to do something different. My interpretation is that she’s a bit more socially awkward, but she’s always a few steps ahead of anyone else, especially because she’s investigating murderers and monsters.”
How Did Tim Burton Connect With Wednesday?
Director Tim Burton seems to be perfectly matched to a project about the Addams Family, but the in taking on Wednesday, the director felt he had a personal connection with the lead character. This was mostly linked to how Wednesday is perceived at her school, and something about that resonated with Burton. He previously said:
“When I read this [script], it just spoke to me about how I felt in school and how you feel about your parents, how you feel as a person. It gave the Addams Family a different kind of reality. It was an interesting combination. In 1976, I went to a high-school prom. It was the year Carrie came out. I felt like a male Carrie at that prom. I felt that feeling of having to be there but not be part of it. They don’t leave you, those feelings, as much as you want them to go. You know, Wednesday and I have the same worldview. “
The cast of Wednesday sees an all-star line-up appearing alongside Ortega including Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman as Morticia and Gomez Addams respectively, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams, George Burcea as Lurch, and Victor Dorobantu as Thing. The supporting cast is made up of Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Georgie Farmer, Hunter Doohan, Georgie Farmer, Moosa Mostafa, Gwendoline Christie, and Christina Ricci.
Wednesday makes its debut on Netflix on November 23, 2022.