Jenna Ortega Imposed One Major Condition to Shoot Iconic “Wednesday” Scene

Jenna Ortega’s profound involvement in developing her character significantly contributed to the success of “Wednesday,” not merely through her acting but by challenging script choices, rewriting dialogues, and even convincing Tim Burton to revise what has become an iconic scene.

The Dance That Almost Didn’t Make It

One of the most viral moments from “Wednesday” is the dance scene in episode 4 of the first season. Initially, the producers envisioned a flash mob, an idea Jenna Ortega immediately dismissed as inconsistent with Wednesday Addams’ character. She insisted on dropping the choreographer and creating the movements herself.

As she later described, “Originally, it was supposed to be a flash mob, and she was supposed to start dancing, and everyone would notice and join in. That’s when I vetoed because why would she accept that?”

Her suggestion was much more in line with the spirit of Wednesday: “I said, ‘Either cut it or have Wednesday knock someone out, and then it’s over.'”

This decision led to one of the most emblematic scenes of the series.

Lines She Refused to Deliver

Jenna Ortega’s influence extended beyond that dance scene. Throughout the filming of the first season, she also rejected several lines that didn’t align with her character’s personality.

Nominated for a Golden Globe for her role, she discussed these experiences on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast in 2023, reported by The Hollywood Reporter. She constantly thought about the character’s consistency.

“Everything she does, everything I had to play, made no sense for her character,” she commented. She pointed out a particular scene where Wednesday was supposed to compliment a dress meant for a school dance: “Her love triangle was inconsistent. There was a line about this dress she was supposed to wear for a prom, and she said, ‘Oh my God, I love it. Oh no, I can’t believe I said that. I really hate myself.’ And I had to say, ‘No way.'”

For her, such dialogue completely misrepresented the heroine’s personality.

Her “Almost Unprofessional” Involvement

Looking back, Jenna Ortega admits her level of involvement sometimes exceeded what is typically expected of an actress on set. “I don’t think I’ve ever had to assert myself on a set like I did as Wednesday, because it’s so easy to slip into that category, especially with this kind of series,” she explained.

Her involvement included altering dialogues on the spot, which forced the writers to reconsider some scenes. “There were moments on set when I became almost unprofessional, in a way, where I started changing text. The script supervisor thought I was going in one direction, and then I had to sit down with the writers, and they’d ask, ‘Wait, what happened to that scene?’ And I had to explain everything and explain why I couldn’t do certain things,” she detailed.

She justified her approach by her attachment to the character: “I became very, very protective of [Wednesday], but you can’t lead a story without having an emotional thread because it’s boring and nobody likes you.”

Maintaining the Essence of Wednesday Addams

Following these statements, The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Netflix for a comment. Meanwhile, Jenna Ortega recalled statements she had previously made during a Netflix Q&A session, where she was “astonished” by “a lot of dialogues like that trying to make her human.”

According to her, the challenge lay in evolving the character without losing what makes her unique. “Wednesday is a teenager,” she noted, explaining why this evolution is more complex than it seems: “When you are a young child and you say morbid and offensive things, it’s funny and endearing. ‘Oh, she doesn’t know much.’ But when you become a teenager, you think, ‘Now, you’re mean and you know it.’ There are no excuses.”

An Experience Filled with Doubts

Despite the global success of the series, Jenna Ortega ended the filming not satisfied with her own performance. “I can’t watch my work, but I can leave a set and think, ‘The scene we shot today was good.’ With Wednesday, there wasn’t a single scene in the series where I came home thinking, ‘Okay, that should work.'”

This self-doubt persisted even as the series made her an international star: “Now, a lot of people know me because of that. It’s not my proudest personal moment, which, I think, adds an extra level of insecurity and stress.”

She added, “Because it feels like I am finally getting offers to take me places I like, but I don’t want to be known specifically for that.”

Statements That Stirred Hollywood

Since the release of “Wednesday” in November 2022, Jenna Ortega’s candid revelations about the series’ behind-the-scenes have sparked reactions. She had disclosed that she filmed the famous dance scene while testing positive for COVID-19. Later, she also told Entertainment Tonight that the filming schedule for “Wednesday” prevented her from reprising her role in “You,” a decision that had “devastated” her.

Her critiques of the writing were sometimes poorly received, particularly by some writers during the Hollywood strikes. However, the choices she defended appear to have significantly contributed to preserving the character’s coherence. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine Wednesday enthusiastically participating in a flash mob or gushing over a prom dress. In hindsight, these adjustments have helped shape the identity of the series and provided viewers with a heroine who remains true to the spirit originally envisioned.

The first two seasons of the series are available exclusively on Netflix.

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