(Credit: Netflix)

Jenna Ortega’s promotion to Netflix’s deadpan darling has made it difficult to imagine someone else as Wednesday Addams. From dialogue that cuts deeper than a knife to looks that could literally kill, Ortega has made the Addams Family character a cultural touchstone.

But if we were to tell you that there was a time when she wasn’t cut out for the role of Wednesday, would you believe it?

Ortega’s stint as an outcast in Netflix’s Wednesday made her the talk of Tinseltown long before. But as her return to the Netflix screens inches closer, a Wednesday scoop from years past leaves everyone jaw-dropping. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter alongside Tim Burton, the Scream actor revealed an Addams family secret, albeit her own version, that left many in disbelief.

Speaking of what excites them the most about Wednesday, Burton explained, “As much as a middle-aged man could feel like a teenage Wednesday Addams, I feel those things.” While she is an “interesting” character, she’s sublime and devoid of a plethora of emotions. As for Ortega? It’s the fact that Wednesday is one of the handpicked protagonists who can “get away” despite the lack of emotional depth or progression.

But is that all that drew Ortega to portray the Addams family character? Not really. When she was only 14, she auditioned for a Wednesday animated movie. But as baffling as it sounds, she didn’t get the role. Ortega recalled telling her mother, “That would be cool to be her, though,” and as destiny would have it, she would eventually become the Wednesday Addams we all know and love.

Yet, it’s not just the character. The Netflix show itself has become a pop culture phenomenon with viewers slipping into goth like it’s another happy-ending fairy tale, all thanks to her. In fact, Ortega is now synonymous with Wednesday and vice versa.

As Burton puts it, actors can be many things for the sake of the screen. “But for Wednesday, you have to have it.” However, it’s not necessarily the darkness he is talking about. Wednesday is a character who carries weight with her presence. It’s in her gaze, her movements, just like a silent film star.

Ortega doesn’t need words to convey emotions or intensity. And according to Burton, you cannot fake that kind of depth because it takes clarity and inner strength.