Jenna Ortega’s star was already rising when she was cast as the eponymous character in the Netflix show Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean that the up-and-coming young actress is immune to self-criticism about her performance. In a video interview with Entertainment Tonight, she said that there was “so much” she “could have done” and “should have done” with the dance. She improvised the dance herself, creating a scene so well-loved that it has been re-created, parodied, and otherwise performed by fans all over social media, especially TikTok.
Despite its popularity, the star still second-guesses her performance and choreography, especially as she says she is not a professional dancer. That means every second of the dance she performed to The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck” is all genuinely Jenna Ortega, in character as Wednesday Addams. It is a very scary thing to perform something one created in public, but to have one’s improvisations as a high point of a record-breaking hit Netflix show seems to have left the actress second-guessing herself.
The interviewer, Nischelle Turner, asked about how Jenna Ortega is handling her stardom after Wednesday, and the star admitted that it was “a bit of an adjustment” for her. Turner then asked her about the dance scene and whether she expected it to go viral, and Jenna Ortega was not only humble but even a little shocked by all the attention she has received from that scene.
“Some of the moves I had planned, some of it was improv. That was one of the scenes that I stay awake at night thinking about. There was so much I could have done and should have done. So, the fact that anyone has shown any appreciation or even tried it themselves is unfathomable to me.”
-Jenna Ortega
She also admitted that she did not go on TikTok to look at the tributes because, “good or bad,” she says “it’s probably not a healthy place to be.” While fans may be disappointed to know that she hasn’t seen any of their tribute videos to her amazing dance routine, it’s good to know Jenna Ortega is still very down to earth about her success after Wednesday. It is very easy to get carried away when the likes of Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and infamous Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva are all imitating you, as they are the former Disney actress.
As the interview continued, the actress was asked about her upcoming movie Scream 6, and what it was like in last year’s Scream reboot to recreate the legendary scene in which Drew Barrymore’s Casey talks to Ghostface from the opening of the first movie. Once again, the actress was full of humility, talking about the pressure of recreating the famous scene and what a dream it is to work with one of horror’s most notable slasher-killers. Jenna Ortega can be seen in Scream 6 when it is released in March 2023, and she is as recognizable in the role of Tara Carpenter as she is as Wednesday Addams.
Hopefully, Jenna Ortega isn’t so disappointed with her dance in Season 1, Episode 4 of Wednesday that she can’t bring herself to do another. Season 2 has already been greenlit by Netflix, and show creators Miles Millar and Al Gough have even already pitched season 3 to the streaming giant. Jenna Ortega has redefined the role in ways that fans love and hopefully she will feel confident enough to do more improv as a character she obviously understands and enjoys playing as much as we enjoy watching her.
