Jenna Ortega opens up about her process of portraying Wednesday Addams

Jenna Ortega discussed her relationship with Christina Ricci, who played the title role in the 1991 film The Addams Family and its 1993 sequel Addams Family Values, in an open interview. The release of Wednesday Addams starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday on November 23 prompted the actress to open up.

She revealed how she bonded with Christina Ricci who appeared on the show in a cameo role.

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“I watched the show, the comic strip, the films,” the title actress of Netflix’s Wednesday told TheWrap. “The script is written very reminiscent of the ‘90s take, so I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t ripping anybody off.”

“The thing is when you say nasty, cruel remarks as a 10-year-old, it’s really sweet and charming ‘cause you don’t know any better, but by the time you’re 15, 16, you should know better,” she said while talking about the role’s challenges. 

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“And I think that that can turn into a really nasty quality, so a lot of it was kind of trying to find a balance as a ‘what it is that’s acceptable’ and adding layers of innocence, so that her crudeness or her toxicness wasn’t seen in poor taste,” she added. 

With Miles Millar and Alfred Gough serving as co-showrunners and Tim Burton serving as director and executive producer, Wednesday offers a fresh perspective on the universe and decidedly charming yet terrifying girl that viewers have grown accustomed to.

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“I feel like when I was younger I had a really hard time embracing certain qualities about myself, and I do think a big part of that is because I didn’t see myself represented on screen or the field that I wanted to participate in,” she continued.

“So getting an opportunity to play someone like Wednesday, who has such a wide reach and is loved and respected by people everywhere, I think it’s incredible that she has a Latin face and that young Latinos can watch and relish in that and enjoy that and identify themselves, not only with someone’s personality, but their looks. It really means a lot to me.”