Why did Jenna Ortega have hesitations about playing Wednesday?

Jenna Ortega had hesitations because she felt she had already extensively worked in teen dramas prior to the "Wednesday" series.

What made the role of Wednesday different from Jenna Ortega's previous roles?

The role of Wednesday was different due to Tim Burton's unique horror stylings, which offered a departure from Ortega's previous work in standard teen dramas.

When did the Netflix series "Wednesday" premiere?

The first season of the Netflix series "Wednesday" premiered in 2022.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Ortega's Hesitation: Why Wednesday Was a Tough Role

Ortega's Hesitation: Why Wednesday Was a Tough Role

8 Feb

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Summary

Jenna Ortega initially hesitated to accept the role of Wednesday.
She had prior experience with teen dramas and sought something different.
Tim Burton's unique horror style distinguished the Addams Family series.

Ortega's Hesitation: Why Wednesday Was a Tough Role

Jenna Ortega, the star of Netflix's popular "Wednesday" series, expressed her initial reservations about taking on the iconic role.

Ortega confessed to having hesitations due to her prior extensive work in teen television dramas. She felt she had already explored that genre extensively before being offered the part.

However, the opportunity to collaborate with gothic cinema legend Tim Burton and participate in a new take on "The Addams Family" proved compelling. The series, which premiered in 2022 and released its second season in two parts in 2025, features Ortega as a teenage Wednesday at Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts.