Jenna Ortega revealed that there was one particular scene on Netflix Wednesday when Victor Dorobanto's hand acted like the thing that made her cry.
Wednesday star Jenna Ortega admitted that Victor Durobanto's hand playing the Thing made her cry in a particularly poignant scene. Released last November on Netflix, Ortega on Wednesday shows Ortega as the titular member of the Addams family as she solves mysteries and harnesses her psychic ability at Nevermore Academy. Ortega is accompanied on her adventures by several supporting characters, including Thing, a severed hand that can move and articulate.
In his final appearance on "Hot Ones" from the First We Feast YouTube channel, Ortega revealed that Durbanto's acting role on Wednesday made her cry.
Instead of using CGI to create a mischievous appendage, the Thing is brought to life by Dorobantu, a Roman magician, whose body is then removed in post-production. Check out Ortega's full commentary below regarding her emotional filming experience:
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It was actually that operating room scene where, they weren’t on him, but they were shooting my coverage and its the first and only time Wednesday cries. And I went to reach my hand out to him and he pet my hand, he was like comforting me. And I actually started crying. I restarted the line because it actually made me sad and we just laughed and that was a real bonding moment for Victor and I.
Why Jenna Ortega Is The Perfect Wednesday
After appearing in the likes of 2022's Scream and X, Ortega has been a star on the rise, particularly in apocalyptic feature projects. The actor, who can capture Wednesday's tough exterior and dark sense of humor, is the perfect choice for the role. However, it's not just Ortega's ability to tap into the dark and ruthless parts of Wednesday that makes him so great in this part.
The key to crafting any strong protagonist is making sure the audience can empathize with them and their struggles. If Wednesday was more than one note in the presentation, the Netflix show certainly wouldn't be the massive global hit it was. Ortega infuses Wednesday with a sense of vulnerability and an undercurrent of emotion that ultimately helps the character feel true to life, at least in some ways.
As Ortega's story demonstrates, one of the keys to projecting these feelings and vulnerabilities is the bonds she makes with those around her. Thing and Enid (Emma Myers), among other characters, help flesh out and humanize Wednesday, and Ortega's performance manages to perfectly balance the hero's satisfying exterior with these more human connections. Thankfully, Wednesday has already been renewed for a second season, which means more behind-the-scenes hand-acting stories for Ortega may be on the way.