Jenna Ortega had some small roles in films like Scream and X, but she became a goth icon when she landed the role of Wednesday Addams for Netflix’s Wednesday. As it turns out, Ortega actually turned down the role multiple times.
Talking to The Times, Ortega explains:
“I got the email, passed on it… I had done so much TV in my life, all I’ve ever wanted to do is film. When I first started acting, I don’t want to say nobody believed in me, but at the same time nobody believed in me. You have to prove yourself. It’s only in the last three or four years that I’ve been able to start going up for film. I was scared that by signing on to another television show it could prevent me from doing other jobs I really wanted and cared about.”
As it turns out, it was the involvement of director Tim Burton that changed Ortega’s mind, and even then she still turned down the project. She continues, “The only reason I went back is because Tim is such a legend, and we just happened to get along very well. But even then I said, ‘Ah, no—I think I’m OK,’ a couple [more] times.”
Ortega also admits that she didn’t think the show would be a huge hit; and it turned out that she was wrong. Now Ortega has become the poster child for goth girls all around the world, and it doesn’t help that her ‘Wednesday Dance’ has gone viral.
While typecasting is a true thing that’s happened for multiple actors, I’m hoping that Ortega finds more work in the future without Wednesday overshadowing everything.
For now, catch the first season of Wednesday now streaming on Netflix. You can also catch Ortega in Scream VI now showing in theaters.
