‘Wednesday’ star Jenna Ortega reveals why she felt ‘almost unprofessional’ during filming

Jenna Ortega, the rising star of Netflix’s hit show “Wednesday,” has recently opened up about her experience filming the series. Ortega is known for her role as Wednesday in the show.

She disclosed in an interview that she became “almost unprofessional” during her time on set.

Recently on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast on March 6, Ortega revealed that she had become immersed in the writing process for the show’s script while on set, occasionally clashing with the script supervisor because she felt “extremely protective” of her character.

https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/1633547901262610434?s=20

Jenna Ortega on Set of ‘Wednesday’

Ortega said of her initial resistance to the script. “I do not think I have ever had to put my foot down on set in the way that I had to on the set of Wednesday because it is so easy to fall into that category, particularly with this kind of show,” 

She elaborated, “Everything that she does and I had to play didn’t make sense for her character. Her being in a love triangle made absolutely no sense.”

“There was something about a dress that she had to wear for the school dance, and she had to say, ‘Oh, my God, I love it. Ugh, I cannot believe I said that. I hate myself.’ And I had to say, ‘No, there’s no way.'”

“There were times on that set when I even became almost unprofessional. In a sense, I just started changing the lines. The script supervisor assumed I was going with something.”

Jenna Ortega "became almost unprofessional" on the #Wednesday set and "just started changing lines." Why? “Everything she does, everything I had to play, did not make sense for her character at all. Her being in a love triangle? It made no sense." https://t.co/2s7mdDQ5oz

— Variety (@Variety) March 7, 2023

She continued, “I would have to sit with the writers, and they would say, ‘Wait, what happened to the scene?’ Then, I would have to go through and explain why I could not do certain things.” 

However, she recognized a story can only be compelling with an emotional arc, or else it would be tedious and uninteresting.

Since Wednesday is a teenager, viewers can perceive saying dreadful and offensive things as a child as cute and innocent.

But as a teenager, it comes across as rude and intentional. Hence, there is less justification for such behavior.

Wednesday’s Script Alterations

Ortega also revealed a significant modification she made to the script for Wednesday involving the iconic dance scene.

She said, “Initially, it was meant to be a flash mob, and she was meant to start dancing, and everybody was meant to start dancing with her. And I vetoed it because why would she be OK with that? I said, ‘Either you cut it or have Wednesday knock someone out.'”

'Wednesday' star Jenna Ortega says she was 'unprofessional' and changed lines while filming, and also vetoed a flash mob during her viral dance scene https://t.co/WYyEIDD48I

— Insider (@thisisinsider) March 7, 2023

Ortega expressed her dismay last month upon realizing that accepting a role in the TV series “Wednesday” would prevent her from appearing in season four of “You.”

Despite her eagerness to reprise her character Ellie, whom she missed dearly, the pandemic and filming commitments in Romania made it impossible for her to travel back and forth. She described feeling devastated upon receiving the offer.

Ortega plays the titular character in “Wednesday,” a series that explores the coming-of-age story of Wednesday Addams, the iconic character from Charles Addams’ “The Addams Family.”

The show premiered on Netflix in 2022. Its unique blend of horror, comedy, and drama has received global critical acclaim.

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