Everything Jenna Ortega Learned To Play Wednesday Addams

Jenna Ortega had to learn a variety of skills to properly portray the iconic Wednesday, sometimes with very limited time.

Actress Jenna Ortega had to be well-prepared to take on the titular role on Netflix's Wednesday, as she had to learn a variety of skills to properly become Wednesday's Adams. On screen, Ortega seems as versatile as her protagonist. However, many of these skills are learned in just a few months or even weeks, which can be difficult or even impossible for many when the skills are as complex as learning a new language or learning an instrument from scratch .

Ortega has a lot going for him, as audiences love Christina Ricci's previous version of Wednesday in two 1990s Addams family films. However, she's able to pull off many of Wednesday's talents herself, lending her performance more authenticity and helping Ortega and the new version of Wednesday stand out. It also means that Ortega has established herself as a very talented actress, and she works harder to play an exciting role.

Cello

Ortega learned how to play the cello to more realistically portray the versatile Wednesday. Her cello training began about two months before filming began, and Ortega had no previous experience with the instrument. which makes it all Even more impressive, she has a good command of the cello, playing multiple songs throughout the series. Jenna Ortega played the cello beautifully on Wednesday, as she performed songs including The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" and Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop."

Cello practice for Wednesday pic.twitter.com/RTksviNccT— Jenna Ortega (@jennaortega) February 1, 2022

Fencing

Despite having a double, Ortega still needs to learn fencing to fulfill her role. She said in a Netflix promotional interview that she took fencing lessons twice a week to learn the sport before filming. While her stand-in Jenny Ayumi Umbhau did end up doing many of the fencing scenes in her place, Ortega did some of them herself, and even Umbhau praised her saying "[she] kicked some serious ass in the fencing choreography!"

jenna ortega in fencing practices!! pic.twitter.com/lndOBoTbfE— jenna ortega daily (@jennadaily_) December 1, 2022

Archery & Canoeing

According to While there hasn't been much coverage of Ortega's archery or canoeing training, she did learn those skills on Wednesday, The New York Times reported. Not only did Ortega not blink an eye during Wednesday's shoot, but he was able to perform all of these new skills impressively on screen. Despite high expectations for Ortega during filming, she appears to have gone the extra mile promise.

Dancing

Wednesday's viral dance "Woe What a Night" performed in Wednesday's fourth episode was actually choreographed by Ortega herself. While that's impressive enough, especially considering the scene's meteoric rise on social media, it's all the more remarkable since Ortega has no background in dancing or choreography. Dancing and choreography are two distinct (and complex) skill sets, so for Ortega, being able to pull off such an iconic scene without any background speaks to her breadth of talent.

Ortega only had about a week to choreograph and rehearse the classic scene. Ortega's Wednesday dance was inspired by dance moves popular in '80s goth bands and goth clubs, as she put it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Given her lack of previous experience, she revealed that she felt very insecure while filming the segment. However, Ortega clearly had nothing to worry about, as the dance resonated with audiences around the world.

German

Ortega also learned some German in preparation for her role on Wednesday. However, like many of her other skills, her German learning was short-lived, and her training only began a week before filming, which made This skill is extremely difficult. Fluent German speakers, including a Youtuber who learned German with Herr Antrim, noticed Ortega's thick American accent and flustered speech.

While it's not Ortega's fault, Wednesday's director, Tim Burton, probably should have given her more time to prepare and arranged for a German coach in advance to give her better lines in German. Still, Wednesday was a massive hit, and Ortega should be proud of all she's accomplished in truly turning herself into an iconic figure.