Jenna Ortega’s “Wednesday” almost didn’t happen. The young actress, who’s become a global star thanks to her title role in the Tim Burton-produced Netflix hit, initially turned down the opportunity.
In an interview with the UK’s Times, Ortega revealed that she received an email about the role but “passed on it.” Having done a lot of TV work in her career, Ortega was worried that signing up for another series could limit her future options.
It was only the chance to work with Tim Burton that made her reconsider. “Tim is such a legend, and we just happened to get along very well,” Ortega said. “But even then I said, ‘Ah, no — I think I’m OK,’ a couple [more] times.”
Thankfully, Ortega eventually said yes, and her performance as Wednesday Addams has been a smash hit. The show beat “Stranger Things” for the most amount of streaming hours watched in its first week on Netflix, and it’s become the second most watched English-language show in the platform’s history.
One of the standout moments of the series is Ortega’s dance scene in the fourth episode, which has become a TikTok sensation. Fans from around the world have been creating their own versions of the routine.
Ortega’s success in “Wednesday” is just the latest achievement in her impressive career. She started acting professionally at the age of nine and has since appeared in a variety of TV shows and movies, including “Stuck in the Middle,” “Insidious: Chapter 2,” “The Babysitter: Killer Queen,” and “You.” She also reprises her role as Tara in “Scream VI. now in theaters.
Despite her success in horror and thriller roles, Ortega says she never set out to become a “scream queen.” “For some reason people see my face and want to throw blood on it … I don’t know what it is,” she joked with the Times. “It was never intentional, but it’s really fun.”
We can’t wait to see what Jenna Ortega does next!
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