Why Jenna Ortega is the Real Life Wednesday Addams

Her Friends and Family admit the Similarities

[{"selector":"#anim-0c12a851-aaa7-4171-92fe-ec43ec53b180","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner Even before taking on the role, Ortega had been told throughout her life that she reminded those close to her of Wednesday Addams. Continue reading and it will become clear why. © Netflix, Inc. 2022

She's a fan of Horror

[{"selector":"#anim-2c1ef756-e331-4623-8603-4365ee7e9b11","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner

She's Macabre

[{"selector":"#anim-a26f6ce2-350b-4acb-8ff9-84a21eb9746a","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner One of Ortega's pastimes as a child was doing autopsies on lizards. If this doesn't prove Jenna Ortega is the real-life Wednesday Addams, then nothing will. © WIRED 2022

She's Got the Look

[{"selector":"#anim-6c294b31-2563-4e9e-b9ed-6ae9b5753fcf","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner Ortega was dressed to kill for her appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ in Hollywood, California. She wore a black slit dress that looks like it could have been pulled right from Wednesday's wardrobe. Season 2 News

Too Dark Even for Christina Ricci

[{"selector":"#anim-4203e499-3235-4abf-9e6e-69007d21afe7","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner Christina Ricci played Wednesday in 1993's Addams Family Values and made a comeback for the 2022 series. Despite their shared background, Ortega said that at times she got too dark for Ricci on set. © ABC 2022

She's as Morbid as Wednesday

[{"selector":"#anim-a6414398-5a09-417b-a983-70c01e6fed58","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner Jenna's first audition for the role with director Tim Burton was done over video directly after filming her death scene in "X" (2022). Her face covered in blood, it's no surprise she got the part!

"I like having blood on my face and I like running and crying and screaming all day. It gives me a kick."

[{"selector":"#anim-e436efc4-8d61-4087-8267-92ace23ec363","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner Contact Jenna

Wednesday's Dance Moves are all Her Own

[{"selector":"#anim-319c911d-fb4b-404c-b49c-27bc0f105ded","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] White Frame Corner White Frame Corner Audiences were captivated by Wednesday's dance number, but there's no choreographer to thank for her moves. Ortega came up with the dance routine herself, taking inspiration from the '80s goth scene.

More Visual Stories

[{"selector":"#anim-a144766e-f7ed-4f1b-be6b-a1bd6851a668","keyframes":[{"offset":0,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, -451.70939%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.29,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, 0%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.45,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, -127.020680468%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.61,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, 0%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.71,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, -43.183417684%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.8,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, 0%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.85,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, -16.216367101%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.92,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, 0%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.96,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, -7.046666483999999%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":1,"transform":"rotate(-91deg) translate3d(0, 0%, 0) rotate(91deg)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"}],"delay":0,"duration":1600,"fill":"both"}] Arrow Read More