Wednesday Addams

Lore & Background

Born into a wealthy, eccentric American family, Wednesday Addams faced tragedy early; at six years old, bullies ambushed her and killed her pet scorpion, Nero. Following this event, she buried the pet and vowed never to cry again, deciding tears fix nothing. By age sixteen, she had attended eight schools in five years, ending at Nancy Reagan High School in New Jersey. At Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts in the town of Jericho, Vermont, she encounters various supernatural beings and uncovers a prophecy stating she will destroy the school. She discovers she is a dark psychic (sometimes referred to metaphorically as a 'Raven'), and learns that the threat against her involves a 'Hyde,' an enslaved person who transforms into a murderous monster at their master's whim.

Reader's Guide

Jenna Ortega's portrayal defines this iteration through specific physical and behavioral choices. To maintain character integrity, she refrained from blinking and utilized the Kubrick stare, acting with her eyes as if in a silent film, a technique noted by director Tim Burton and costar Emma Myers. Ortega fought to protect Wednesday from over-humanization or scripts written for younger audiences, changing many lines to avoid making her just 'any other teenage girl.'

She trained extensively upon arrival, learning the cello, German, fencing, archery, and canoeing. While Ortega secured Burton's support for her vision, they disagreed on the proper amount of emotion; Burton wanted an expressionless Wednesday in his episodes, while Ortega pushed for a three-dimensional arc. Costume designer Colleen Atwood modernized the look with custom uniforms and hoodies but kept the vintage black dress as a tribute to past works and to establish her as an outsider.

Did You Know?

• In 1993, Addams Family Values featured Wednesday in a subplot, but she did not lead the film as the main character, nor did it establish her as the franchise's main character.
• Ortega fought to keep the character from being over-humanized, stating she had never 'put my foot down more on a set'.

Historical Evolution of the Character

The character debuted in June 1940 in a single-panel comic by Charles Addams, joining his family in The New Yorker in 1944 with a black dress, Peter Pan collar, pigtails, and melancholy. In 1962, she received the name Wednesday from 'Monday's Child' for a doll collection. The 1964 TV series gave her the full name Wednesday Addams; Lisa Loring portrayed her as a normal child. A 1973 animated series maintained this disposition. For the 1991 film, Christina Ricci transformed her into a 'true goth icon,' a sarcastic, cold, and homicidal preadolescent. The 1993 sequel let her lead a subplot for the first time. These films revived franchise interest, making Wednesday the main character and a leading figure of the gothcore movement during the grunge era.

Creative Vision and Character Humanization

In 2019, writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar began conceptualizing a series to explore teenage Wednesday Addams. Drawing from their work on Smallville, they aimed to humanize the one-note character with emotional complexity while keeping her a direct continuation of the 1990s version. They made her a teenager to explore a tense relationship with her mother and a romance life, inspired by their own parental experiences for a grounded Wednesday-Morticia dynamic. Gough, Millar, and director Tim Burton agreed that finding the right actress was essential, seeking a Latina performer to honor Gomez Addams' heritage.

Jenna Ortega's Performance and Collaboration

After months of auditioning hundreds of actresses, Jenna Ortega was cast in May 2021. Initially uninterested as she sought film roles, Burton convinced her on the series' potential. Ortega trained immediately, learning cello, German, fencing, archery, and canoeing. She refrained from blinking and used the Kubrick stare; Burton compared her eye-acting to silent film. Ortega fought to protect the character against scripts for younger audiences or over-humanization, changing many lines she found nonsensical. While she had Burton's support on her vision, they disagreed on emotional expression levels, leading to 'a lot of battles' on set regarding her emotional arc.

Cultural Impact and Critical Reception

This iteration is considered a pop culture icon received positively, though some aspects faced criticism. Jenna Ortega's performance garnered critical acclaim and elevated her to greater fame. Costume designer Colleen Atwood modernized the wardrobe with custom school uniforms, hoodies, and pants while introducing her in a vintage dress as a tribute. Burton approved bangs suggested by Ortega to ensure the character looked different from previous iterations.