‘They’re bold, they’re confident, and they love one another’
Wednesday is a Netflix spin off of The Addams Family directed by Tim Burton. Danielle de Wolfe learns more from castmates Gwendoline Christie and Jenny Ortega
The Addams Family has been described as many things over the years – creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky. A collective of outsiders, their unconventional approach to life has long resonated with master of the macabre Tim Burton.
A director known for his dark and twisted tales – crafting cult films including The Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands (starring ex-wife Helena Bonham Carter) – the opportunity to create a television spin-off, centred around the eldest child of this decidedly dark brood, presented itself as something of a gift.
“I feel like Wednesday. I’ve felt like Wednesday since I was a teenager,” said Burton during a recent European fan screening of the series. And it’s that very sense of empathy for the outsider that Burton brings to the table as part of his brand new Netflix endeavour.
Expanding our knowledge of the Addams Family, Wednesday charts the eldest Addams’ journey as a student at Nevermore Academy. Honing her emerging psychic abilities, this mystical tale and its decidedly muted colour palette bare all the hallmarks of a Tim Burton creation.
“It’s that amazing amalgamation between a highly developed, highly individual visual sensibility – a really unique aesthetic, which we of course now know is Burton-esque… but also, Tim always identifies the humanity in a situation, and the real humanity of the characters,” says actor Gwendoline Christie.
Starring as Principal Larissa Weems, Christie says her decision to join the project was something of a “nobrainer”.
“I’ve wanted to work with Tim Burton my entire life,” enthuses the 44-year-old Star Wars and Game of Thrones actor, who goes on to describe the development of her “Hitchcock style” character.
“I do love playing those characters that tend to acutely experience the darker side of life.
“I knew this would be something very, very special… Larissa Weems is a woman in a
position of power and control. I love that she is the principal of a school for outcasts – some people say I have been typecast in this role.”
Created by cartoonist Charles Addam, The Addams Family started life in a 1938 edition of American magazine, The New Yorker. Rapidly growing in popularity, the haunting concept of a nuclear family living in a ghostly mansion transcended generations.
Subsequently developed into countless film and televisual offerings, the tale of Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, and Pugsley – alongside their strange Uncle Fester and wandering hand ‘Thing’ – is one that has stood the test of time.
It’s a series which also sees You actor Jenna Ortega star as the show’s eponymous lead character, Wednesday Addams. A figure she describes as “unconventional”, Ortega, 20, says audiences can expect a “different take” on the classic pigtailed child from yesteryear.
Noting the marked similarities between herself and her on-screen character, it becomes apparent that deadpan delivery ranks among Ortega’s many skills.
“I think we have similar interests,” says Ortega, unblinking. “I think that we like mutilation. I think that we’re dry and sarcastic. I think that, urm, we’re both a bit socially awkward at times. So I think that it was cool; I kind of put bits of myself in there.”
Describing Wednesday as having a “cartoonish quality”, Ortega says it’s the family’s unwavering ownership of their unconventional ways that have seen audiences embrace them for decades.
“They’re bold, they’re confident, and they love one another. They’re kind of the healthiest family in America. I think there’s something that’s very attractive about that,” says Ortega.
A star-studded tale, Wednesday sees The Darling Buds of May and Chicago actor Catherine Zeta-jones return to our screens, this time as Wednesday’s mother, Morticia Addams. Complete with gaunt complexion and silky smooth raven tresses, the Academy Award-winning actress is joined by Luis Guzman, who stars as her on-screen husband, Gomez Addams.
And yet, it’s another notable return that’s had horror fans screaming the loudest. The most recognisable name associated with the role of Wednesday Addams, actor Christina Ricci played the role in the 1991 film The Addams Family and 1993’s Addams Family Values. Cementing her association with the family in yet another incarnation, fans were teased of Ricci’s return in the series trailer, this time stepping into the role of Marilyn Thornhill. Stellar cast aside, this twisted tale of an alternative American family serves up a series that is refreshingly addictive. Bold, unapologetic and effortlessly questioning archetypal characters, it’s a series that’s set to be embraced by a brand new generation.
“I think that people are tired of judging tradition,” says Ortega.
“Everyone wants to see people embrace their weirdness, and it be celebrated and praised. I think it kind of encourages people to do that within themselves, which I think boosts everyone’s spirits and egos a little bit, without really even meaning to.”
It’s a view seconded by Ortega’s co-star Emma Myers, who plays fellow academy student Enid Sinclair. A colourful and contrasting character to Ortega’s, Myers says the show’s ability to normalise the alternative is what will make it a relatable watch for viewers.
“I kind of resonate with Enid because she feels like an outsider in her own community,” says Myers, 20. “And growing up as a kid, I felt the same way.”
Going on to describe Burton’s “playful” approach to filmmaking, Ortega says there was plenty of room for improvisation when it came to the project.
Making for an instantly recognisable series, Burton’s small-screen endeavour – complete with monochromatic stylisation and fearless costume design – ensures Wednesday stands out from other young adult offerings.
“I really adored the opportunity to create something new,” agrees Christie. “It was very interesting for me to play someone that is focused on the greater good. But at times, you wonder: is it really about protecting the school, protecting those children, about a set of ideals? Or is it in service of her own ego?
“It’s illuminating, it touches you, and as an audience member, it does move you – and I think to be affected by movies and television, to be really genuinely changed by them, is the mark of a great artist.”