Wednesday star Jenna Ortega has given fans a glimpse behind the scenes on the hit Netflix series, revealing a hairstyle that “almost made it” onto the show.
Ortega stars as the death-obsessed teen in the Tim Burton-directed drama. The series marks the latest screen adaptation of Charles Addams’ Addams Family cartoons, which previously inspired a ‘60s TV series, a ‘90s film series and several animated films.
The character is known for her distinctive look, with her dark hair styled into two long braids.
In a tweet, Ortega shared a photo of a “test” look that nearly featured in the series, captioning it: “Wednesday test braids, they almost made it.”
Wednesday test braids, they almost made it. https://t.co/kO6kvD62Q9 pic.twitter.com/fAfcFp5YaE
— Jenna Ortega (@jennaortega) November 29, 2022
Though the style still stuck closely to Wednesday’s signature look, her plaits appeared to be slightly shorter and thinner, suggesting that the show’s styling team eventually opted for something more dramatic.
Wednesday follows the iconic lead character as she settles into a new school, dealing with the usual teenage troubles while grappling with her emerging psychic ability, solving a supernatural mystery and preventing a killing spree.
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Ortega is joined by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán as Wednesday’s parents Morticia and Gomez, with Fred Armisen taking on the role of Uncle Fester.
Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie appears as Larissa Weems, the headteacher of Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts, while Christina Ricci, who starred as Wednesday in the films The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, plays teacher Marilyn Thornhill.
Speaking about taking on the iconic role alongside Ricci, Ortega told RadioTimes.com that “it definitely was a bit nerve-wracking at first” as “you don’t want to feel like you’re doing the knock off version of her performance right in front of her.”
“You want to make it clear that your character is your own,” she added. “I think we approached it in a really cool manner because we never spoke about it.
“We just spoke about each other and got to know each other and kind of ignored it. That was a great relief and I think it was a smart decision.”
Wednesday now holds the record for most hours viewed in a week for an English-language series on Netflix, with 341.2 MILLION HOURS!
— Netflix (@netflix) November 29, 2022
The series — starring Jenna Ortega from EPs Tim Burton, Al Gough & Miles Millar — is #1 in 83 countries, tying the record set by Stranger Things 4 pic.twitter.com/o8yhS2EmXF
Netflix recently announced that the show now holds the record for the most hours viewed in a week for an English language series on the streaming platform, after racking up 341.2 million hours viewed.
It managed to beat the record set by Stranger Things season 4, which was viewed for 335 million hours in the week following its release this summer.
Wednesday also hit the number one spot on Netflix in 83 countries, tying with Stranger Things.
Wednesday is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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