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Jenna Ortega turned down Wednesday "multiple times" before accepting it

15 March 2023, 16:19 | Updated: 19 April 2024, 09:47

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By Sam Prance

"I was scared that by signing on to another television show it could prevent me from doing other jobs I really wanted."

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Jenna Ortega has revealed that she turned down the role of Wednesday "multiple times" before eventually deciding to do it.

It's impossible to imagine Netflix's Wednesday without Jenna Ortega. The 20-year-old star captures the spirit of Wednesday Addams perfectly. However, in recent months, Jenna has spoken frankly about her issues with the show. Appearing on Dax Shepard's podcast, Jenna said: "It's not particularly the kind of TV that I would watch so it felt very out of place for me."

Now, Jenna has opened up about how she got the role of Wednesday and why she was so reluctant to sign onto the show.

Jenna Ortega turned down Wednesday "multiple times" before accepting it. Picture: AFF / Alamy Stock Photo, Netflix

In a new interview with The Times, Jenna was asked if she actively pursued the role of Wednesday. Jenna then let slip: "No, I didn’t. I got the email, passed on it." She then explained: "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."

Providing further context as to why she originally turned the show down, Jenna added: "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 (X, Scream etc.). I was scared that by signing onto another television show it could prevent me from doing other jobs I really wanted and cared about."

Jenna revealed that it was Tim Burton's involvement in Wednesday that eventually led her to change her mind and agree to play Wednesday. She stated: "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."

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday on Netflix. Picture: Netflix

Talking further about her struggles with Wednesday on Dax Shepard's podcast, Jenna said: "I don't think I've ever had to put my foot down on a set in the way that I had to on Wednesday. Everything that she does, everything that I had to play did not make sense for her character at all. Her being in a love triangle made no sense!"

Jenna also revealed that she thought she was signing on to a darker show. She explained: "When I first signed on, I didn't have all the scripts. I thought it was gonna be a lot darker. When I read the entire series, I realised, 'Oh this is for younger audiences'. I didn't know what the tone was."

Jenna ended the episode by saying: "I don't want to be known specifically for [Wednesday]".