The new Addams Family series Wednesday recently premiered on Netflix last week, and as Jenna Ortega makes the rounds with the press, she reveals that she purposefully did not contact Christina Ricci about the role of Wednesday Addams.
Ortega follows in the footsteps of Ricci, who played the role in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).
Ricci does appear in the Netflix adaptation as Marylin Thornhill and even exchanges scenes with Ortega, but according to the latest Wednesday, she did not seek help.
“No, I don’t believe either of us said Wednesday desires to each other while she was on site,” Ortega stated in an interview with Emma Myers for MTV News. I don’t believe she meant to interfere with my performance or make me feel that she was pushy.
She said, “And then I felt like I didn’t want to bring up something she did 30 years ago, first for my own benefit, and second because I didn’t want to take advantage of her. And I did not wish to be too similar to her.”
Ortega stated that the Wednesday series is completely distinct from the films directed by Barry Sonnenfeld in the 1990s.
She stated, “Our show features superheroes, misfits, and wicked ghost pilgrims.” “Therefore, I believe they are two totally different persons on Wednesdays. The show’s characters are polar opposites. They enjoy a charming friendship.”
Ortega told Myers in the same interview that she “felt a lot of pressure to give Wednesday justice” since he is “such a beloved character.”
“I’ve never played a character who has already been portrayed. So I believe that was a really intriguing experience for me,” the actress remarked. “I have a lot of respect for the character; we’ve never spent as much time with Wednesday on camera before, so I believe we’re going to get more emotional depth or range from her that we haven’t seen before.”
»Jenna Ortega Did Not Consult Christina Ricci About Her ‘Wednesday’ Character On Purpose«