Jenna Ortega Fans Outraged Over Working Conditions At Netflix
Netflix’s latest streaming hit, the Addams Family spin-off Wednesday, may be setting new records for the company, but it is also bringing a new controversy and a hard look at what was going on behind the scenes. According to a report from Yahoo, Jenna Ortega, the rising star playing the title character, was sick with COVID while filming the immediately iconic dance scene from the fourth episode. Suffering from body aches, a fever, and a sore throat, Ortega managed to perform a dance she choreographed herself, that has now become one of the biggest viral moments since Stranger Things introduced fans to Kate Bush.
At the time of filming the dance scene, Jenna Ortega had allegedly informed director Tim Burton that she was sick, though no positive test had come back yet. The actress claimed to be receiving medicine from the crew in-between takes. Once a positive test came back and confirmed COVID, the actress was removed from the set until she recovered.
Wednesday fans on social media have responded to this story from Jenna Ortega by attacking Netflix for their lax working conditions. The dance scene included dozens of extras that shared the stage with Ortega, even without a positive test, the actress was still contagious. Though Netflix isnists that COVID protocols were followed, fans of the actress are still aghast that the set was not temporarily shutdown.
Even before the story behind the viral moment was publicly known, the scene was helping to set records. “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps scores the scene, resulting in the band getting close to having their first ever HOT 100 hit, replicating the success of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”. Jenna Ortega watched footage of dancing goths in order to create her moves while in-character as Wednesday Addams.
One of the other records set by the series includes the most hours watched in a week for an English-language series, with 341.2 million hours. Again, the last series to hold that record was Stranger Things, which just shows how much of an instant, unexpected success the Jenna Ortega series has been for Netflix. At one point, fans of Christina Ricci’s take on the classic character were dreading the new series, now it is receiving enar universal praise.
Speaking of, Christina Ricci appears in Wednesday as Mrs. Marilyn Thornhill, the only “normie” teaching at Nevermore Academy. The stylish actress first brought Wednesday to the big screen 31 years ago in The Addams Family movie, alongside Rual Julia, Anjelica Huston, and Christopher Lloyd. Jenna Ortega’s re-imagining of the kooky family includes Luis Guzman as Gomez and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Wednesday’s doting parents.
Coming off of the incredible success of Wednesday’s first season, Jenna Ortega is expected to reprise her Scream role for the sixth film. In addition, rumors persist that the scream queen will be joining the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again as White Tiger. What is not in question is if Oretega will appear again, the former Disney star is fast becoming an in-demand talent, and Wednesday’s success is only the start of what looks like an incredible career.
