If there’s one moment from hit new Addams Family series Wednesday that has truly become a worldwide sensation, it is the dance scene which appears in episode 4.
The sequence, which takes place at Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave’n dance, has gone viral on TikTok, with fans looking to emulate star Jenna Ortega‘s moves. However, as it turns out, Ortega herself wasn’t even sure what she was going to do in the scene until just before it was shot.
On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Ortega revealed a conversation she had with executive producer and director Tim Burton about the scene, and how it led to the dance coming together.
She said: “He came to my trailer about two days before we shot it and said, ‘Hey Jenna, so I know you said you wanted to choreograph this yourself’ because I refused to see a choreographer. He was like, ‘I know you’ve got it, you’ve been working on it, I’m not even worried about it. I trust you.’”
Ortega continued: “And I said, ‘Oh, yeah. You know, it’s all so good.’ And I had not gone over it at all. I was doing cello that week, fencing that week. I just didn’t have time.
“I was kicking myself, I felt like such a fool. I’m not a dancer, I don’t do any of that, I have no experience in that field. And then yeah, I didn’t sleep for two days.
“I watched videos of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Denis Lavant in Beau Travail. I found archival footage of goth kids dancing in clubs in the 80s. Lene Lovich, Nina Hagen, just anything I could get my hands on, and then on the day I thought, ‘All right, well let’s just see what happens.’”
As it turns out, what happens is an instantly iconic scene which fans latch on to immediately.
A second season of Wednesday has not yet been officially confirmed, but Netflix’s head of US and Canada scripted series Peter Friedlander did Variety that he was “optimistic” about another outing for the popular series.
He said: “You may know what I’m going to say – but I have nothing to confirm at this time. I am optimistic about Wednesday. We’ll leave it at that.”
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.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out the best Netflix series and best Netflix movies to keep you entertained, or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.
The Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.