Jenna Ortega’s eerie “Wednesday” persona is unbreakable — almost. On Dec. 11, Netflix shared an official season one blooper reel that features the cast — including Ortega as Wednesday, Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán), Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White), and more — as they crack smiles and reveal that, even on the set of morbid shows like “Wednesday,” there’s always room for a little fun.
“If you growl at it hard enough, it’ll go away.”
Filming for the series took place in Bucharest, Romania, providing a haunting setting for Nevermore Academy, as well as a few unexpected challenges for the actors off screen. “If you growl at it hard enough, it’ll go away,” Ortega tells her costars as she jokingly grimaces at the sound of an airplane flying overhead, one of many plane-related interruptions the cast endured while filming. The cast members take turns unleashing their inner monsters and growling in frustration when they break or stumble during a scene, a behind-the-scenes tradition befitting of the Addams family.
At one point in the reel, Ortega accidentally hits Myers, who plays Wednesday’s roommate Enid, in the face with a flashlight as she’s climbing through a window. “Oh! Sorry! Did I hit you in the face right now?” Ortega asks as she pauses to check on her costar. “Hold on. Are you OK?” After ensuring that Myers is, in fact, all right, Ortega proves her unblinking character can find humor in moments of uncertainty.
While some actors burst into laughter immediately when they’ve forgotten a line, causing the director to yell “Cut!,” Ortega remains perfectly composed — at least, for a few seconds. In true Wednesday fashion, the actor sucks in a deep breath, biting back laughter, until she can’t hold it in any longer and breaks into a fit of giggles. Wednesday Addams’s whole vibe is mysterious and spooky — even her dance moves are haunting — but it’s nice to see that the most macabre Nevermore student in town has a sense of humor, too.
See all the best behind-the-scenes moments from the “Wednesday” blooper reel above.