Fame as Wandinha was 'overwhelming,' says Jenna Ortega

The first season of Wednesday , about the Addams family's 'inexpressive' daughter, has become Netflix's most popular English-language series since its release in 2022.

The hit, starring Jenna Ortega, gave the American actress sudden fame, which she described as "very overwhelming."

In an interview with BBC culture correspondent Lizo Mzimba, the 22-year-old actress said she was "very grateful and happy to have been able to touch people the way she did." But when asked if she was ready for the spotlight that came with the series, Ortega replied:

"Is anyone? No, I wasn't. And I wouldn't want to meet anyone who was. I don't think that should ever be a normal thing."

She added: "I'm still very grateful for that. We didn't know if anyone would watch the show. You do these things without knowing what's coming next, so it was very overwhelming."

The second season of Tim Burton's series, which premieres on August 6, follows Wednesday Addams' return to Nevermore Academy, now under the leadership of a new director.

Wednesday's parents also gain a larger presence this season, appearing constantly on the school campus, something that, according to Netflix, results in "a new and rare form of torture for a fiercely independent amateur detective."

The increased presence of Wednesday's mother and father, Gomez and Morticia Addams, offers the series an opportunity to explore family dynamics in greater depth than in the first season.

"I think one of the reasons people identify so much with the Addams family is precisely because of their strangeness," reflects Ortega.

"They're a very cohesive unit, but they're also very different from each other and stand out. They shouldn't fit together as a family, but they do. And that's something a lot of people can relate to."

She highlights the complex dynamic between Wednesday and Morticia, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, and says she's looking forward to audiences "getting to see more" of the Welsh actress, who she describes as someone with a "divine and delicious presence."

"It's very common for mother and daughter to clash, with the daughter wanting to be independent and feeling that perhaps she's not getting the space she deserves or needs to discover herself on her own," Ortega observes.

"But there's also the mother's desire to care for her children and protect them, and not want them to go through the same difficult situations she faced in the past. Reading the scripts, all of this is very applicable to my experience as a teenager, and still is today."

Janne Ortega's career

California-born Janne Ortega also starred in Beetlejuice , Death of a Unicorn , and two films in the Scream franchise, as well as the Netflix series You and Jane the Virgin.

But her best-known role is Wednesday Addams, a character known for her sharp humor, impassive manner, and fascination with morbid things.

The first actress to play Wednesday was Lisa Loring in the TV series The Addams Family in the mid-1960s. The character was later played by Christina Ricci in two films released in the early 1990s.

Ortega is exploring a new professional side in the second season, also serving as an executive producer, something that, according to her, "was a great school for me... I tried to absorb as much as I could."

The American actress acknowledges the three-year gap between the first and second seasons, but adds that this "allowed things to calm down a bit."

According to her, the public was "very patient".

"We've made people wait a long time. We wanted to please them, but in new and more exciting ways."

More emphasis on other characters

The second season gave Catherine Zeta-Jones a bigger role after "only appearing briefly and introducing the matriarch of the central character," says the actress, who plays Morticia Addams.

She recalls that working on the first season felt "like the foundation of something."

So when the producers told her they wanted to use season two to "really incorporate Wednesday's family and explore the mother-daughter dynamic, it was a joy."

"They created a really beautiful storyline that didn't overwhelm Wednesday's main storyline and her journey, it just complemented it beautifully, giving more depth to our characters," said Zeta-Jones.

"At this point in my career, I feel very blessed to be a part of this universe."

Other cast members appearing in the new season include Joanna Lumley, who plays Wednesday's grandmother, Steve Buscemi, as the school's new principal, and Billie Piper, who plays music director Isadora Capri.

Janne Ortega says one of the reasons the series has had such a wide impact is because it explores issues like "where we find our sense of community today."

"I wasn't here in the '70s, but I hear stories of people knocking on neighbors' doors, of bicycles riding all over town, or of simply arranging to meet someone at a certain time and place."

According to the actress, this contrasts sharply with today's reliance on smartphones. "People no longer talk to each other in person. They're interacting and finding their communities online, which can be very isolating."

"Also, there are so many voices and opinions that we're exposed to today, far more than we normally would be, or than human beings were built to handle. So I think it's much harder to find a sense of identity. Young people are struggling to figure out, 'What makes my voice stand out? What is it about me, in this world and in this society today, that gives me a sense of purpose, control, or authority?'"

According to Zeta-Jones, the Addams family is relatable because "we embrace our idiosyncrasies," adding that "it's okay to be different, we don't try to put it in boxes or hide it. As a family, we encourage that... it's the quintessential modern family."

Ortega agrees, saying, "There's enormous comfort in seeing people who are clearly themselves, free, and who prioritize what really matters: their family, who's in front of them, their special interests, their strength and courage, and their confidence in their own voice."

"It's very easy to get caught up in a 'herd mentality' these days and I think it's really important for young people to see that family more than ever."

The first four episodes of Wednesday's second season premiere on August 6th on Netflix. The remaining four episodes will be released on September 3rd.