Jenna Ortega explains why she initially rejected her role in Wednesday. Ortega plays the eponymous Addams Family member in the popular Netflix series, which she will reprise in Wednesday season 2. Wednesday Addams has become the most recognizable role of Ortega’s career, earning her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. In addition to Ortega, Wednesday also stars Hunter Doohan, Emma Myers, Christina Ricci, Joy Sunday, Georgie Farmer, Fred Armisen, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzman.

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Ortega explains why she was initially hesitant to take on her role on Wednesday. Responding to the previous understanding that she had turned down the role of Wednesday, Ortega clarifies that she “wasn’t married to the job” at first, as she felt more excited about film work than TV work at the time. Later, however, her call with Burton “made [her] want it more,” as the Wednesday role started to grow on her. Check out the full quote from Ortega below:

Initially, I wasn’t married to the job. The bluntness of the call [with Burton] made me want it more. [Burton] really got in my head.

Ortega’s Combined Film & TV Career Explained

Ortega Began Her Career In Television

Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) stares ahead at the Harvest Festival in Wednesday Jenna Ortega in a scene from X holding audio devices Jenna Ortega's Tara talks on the phone and looks at a knife in Scream. Jenna Ortega as Ellie Alvez leaning in to talk to Joe Goldberg in You Jenna Ortega in a wheelchair in Iron Man 3 Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) stares ahead at the Harvest Festival in Wednesday Jenna Ortega in a scene from X holding audio devices Jenna Ortega's Tara talks on the phone and looks at a knife in Scream. Jenna Ortega as Ellie Alvez leaning in to talk to Joe Goldberg in You Jenna Ortega in a wheelchair in Iron Man 3

Part of Ortega’s lack of interest in Wednesday may have come from her history with TV extends longer than that of her experience with film. Ortega’s careerbegan as a child actor, contributing her talents to Disney Channel shows and other TV series such as Jane the Virgin, wherein she played a younger version of the main character. It was not until relatively recently in her career that Ortega began transitioning to acting in far more film roles.

At the time that she appeared in Wednesday, her film career was just starting to heat up. In 2021, Ortega delivered a stellar performance as a traumatized high school student in The Fallout. The next year, she showcased her budding scream queen talent when playing Tara Carpenter in Scream as well as Lorraine in Ti West’s franchise-staring slasher horror film X. These projects showcased Ortega’s ability to act on the silver screen as well as the small screen.

Taking the Wednesday role ended up being one of the wisest moves in Ortega’s career. Seemingly overnight, the Netflix show transformed Ortega from rising star to household name, as the series catapulted her into a new level of fame and popularity. Now, Ortega has gone on to collaborate with Burton again in the upcoming sequel film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It is great Burton sold Ortega on Wednesday, because the show has ended up being quintessential to both Ortega’s career and the success of the show.