Wednesday star Jenna Ortega has said the hit Netflix series is “definitely” a feminist programme, ahead of the release of its second instalment this week.
Produced by Tim Burton, the supernatural comedy follows Ortega’s character, created by American cartoonist Charles Addams, as she aims to master her psychic ability at Nevermore Academy high school.
The Addams Family has long been praised for its multi-dimensional female characters, including Wednesday’s mother Morticia Addams, played in the Netflix series by Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Speaking to Radio Times, Ortega said she believes the Wednesday series continues The Addams Family legacy of engaging female-led plotlines.
“I think the whole show should be empowering to anybody, really, but I’m really proud of how strong our female characters are,” she said.
Ortega noted that, beyond the Addams family members, Wednesday’s fellow high school students Enid (Emma Myers) and Bianca (Joy Sunday) are “very complex and layered people”.
She added: “I think that there’s a woman for everyone”.
The 22-year-old star heaped praise on Zeta-Jones and Dame Joanna Lumley, who plays Grandmama, calling the celebrated actors “glamorous, generous people” who’re “unbelievably talented”.
Ortega said: "I was so glad to have more scenes with Catherine this season. Obviously, Morticia is just such a delicious character, and Catherine has got the yummiest voice and persona, so it was really nice to be able to see her flesh that character out a bit more."
The trailer for the second season, released in July, shows Wednesday returning to Nevermore Academy, where she receives a chilling psychic vision that her roommate Enid is going to die.
Numerous additions have been made to the cast for the much-loved series’ second season, including Steve Buscemi as Nevermore principal Barry Dort, and Billie Piper as head of music Isadora Capri.
Wednesday is the third biggest show in Netflix history, reaching 400 million viewing hours in its second week on the platform after the first season was released in 2022.
In a previous interview, Ortega thanked fans for being “very patient with us” in the three year break between Wednesday installments.
“We made them wait for a long time,” she said. “We do want to please them, but we want to do it in new and more exciting ways.”
The second season of Wednesday streams on Netflix from 6 August.
