Wednesday, the eponymous character in Netflix’s homage to The Addams Family classic, delivers the opening lines of S2 with a twist of irony and the slightest hint of muffled glee, leaving no doubt of the tone of the hit series: “I’m tied up in a serial killer’s basement. Who says nightmares don’t come true?”
With a complexion close to corpse-white, plum lips and pools of black-ink eyes, Jenna Ortega drops deadpan causticity and wry commentary as the ultimate too-cool-to-care heroine of the series, Wednesday. In a world where everyone wants to be liked, Wednesday rejects popularity, which, predictably, makes her the ultimate “it” girl and the most popular girl in her school, Nevermore.
For anyone unfamiliar with the gothic overtones of the show, The Addams Family was created by cartoonist Charles Addams in 1938 for The New Yorker. It's been so popular over the years that it's been the focus of several films, television series and a musical. The family is made up of father, Gomez (Luis Guzman), a hulking squat figure of Spanish ancestry, prone to pinstriped suits, a mother, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), whose sexual-fantasy figure has made her a favourite costume character for Halloween; their children, son Pugsley, who has a pet octopus and daughter, Wednesday, unsmiling and self-assured, sporting two tightly bound plaits.
Wednesday is celebrated for her dark humour and unapologetic ownership of being the opposite of the bright, vacuous, fashion-conscious “popular girl”. Her refusal to adopt cultural norms has made her an inspiration for those who embrace their individuality.
King of the macabre, Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas) executive produces and directs the wonderful cast with wit and a definite dose of darkness. Ortega garnered a Golden Globe nomination for season 1, which became a critical and commercial success entwining teen drama, mystery and costumes that made fashionistas drool, so Season 2 has been eagerly anticipated. Part 1 dropped last week, in which Joanna Lumley plays the gran Hester Frump, who's anything but frumpish. Steve Buscemi is Principal Dort. Lady Gaga was revealed as the mystery guest star at Netflix’s Tudum earlier this year. She'll appear in part 2 of Season 2 as enigmatic teacher Rosaline Rotwood.
There’s a new supernatural mystery, psychic abilities to be explored and a dark secret that lurks in the Addams' family history. Stir into the mix that Wednesday’s family seems to be everywhere at Nevermore this season. Her brother is now a student. Morticia and Gomez crop up on campus at awkward times, allowing the animosity between mother and daughter to ferment, resulting in swords crossing — physically and verbally.
Fans of Season 1 will be delighted that Ortega shared that she had to master several weapons including a Swiss Army Knife, swords and an axe for this season. “I needed accuracy because Hunter [Doohan] was on the other side of the axe throwing; I didn't want to injure the actor,” Ortega said at a press conference in London.
Lumley clearly enjoyed herself playing her character. “Hester Frump is ghastly,” said the British star of Absolutely Fabulous. “She's fond of Wednesday because she can see in her the same kind of spirit, but also the streak of bad, danger, daring — everything she doesn't see in Morticia, who's grand, vain and greedy. She sees in Wednesday a shining light. This attitude, of course, feels very natural to me.”
Ortega reflected on why Wednesday appeals to fans. “It's her strength and confidence,” she said. Her bleached, almost-not-there eyebrows jump and a little dimple appears in her right cheek as she shockingly smiles — something we almost never see from her stoic character Wednesday. “Most character discussions are about what makes someone insecure, shy; what’s the painful quality they'd hate to admit to. Wednesday doesn't have that. She’s clearly and obviously herself. It's nice to step into those shoes. She demands everything around her. It's like she comes with a list of rules. It's a great guideline. Any time I feel lost or confused I return to those qualities and her posture, or the teacups on the head (referring to Wednesday’s ramrod posture). If something was too ugly and hideous for Wednesday, I'd just walk out of the shot.”
What was the biggest challenge for the diminutive American actress of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, I ask? The 22-year-old beams again. “Ireland. We shot there instead of Romania, which was the location for season 1. It also has beautiful Gothic architecture, but it was so green. That was the only real challenge. Fighting the green. It was so bright for the show. Suddenly the Addams family looked alive!”
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