''I felt like such a fool'': Jenna Ortega opens up on choreographing the unforgettable Wednesday dance 

Netflix's Wednesday is the second most-watched show in the platform's history and has been streamed over a billion times.

Jenna Ortega, who portrayed Wednesday's Addams, recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and spoke candidly about her role, particularly the dance scene that she choreographed herself.

Often dubbed the "Next Big Thing" in Hollywood, Ortega discussed how she choreographed her dance without any prior practice.

Wednesday is based on the character Wednesday Addams by Charles Addams, who attempts to solve a monster mystery at her school. It has received two Golden Globe nominations: Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for Ortega.

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Jenna Ortega didn't sleep for two days before shooting the Wednesday dance scene

As a huge horror fan, Ortega claims that working on horror films/shows is both therapeutic and enjoyable. She referred to the show's cast and crew as her family, adding that everyone kept the seriousness at bay while working on the show.

She then emphasized her iconic dance sequence on the show and explained how director Tim Burton gave her the complete freedom to choreograph it and had complete faith in her to pull off a spectacular job. She said:

"He was like, 'I know you've got it. You've been working on it. I'm not even worried about it. I trust you.' And I said, 'Oh, yeah, you know, it's all so good."

She danced to a song called Goo Goo Muck, which was composed and sung by the legendary punk band The Cramps. Being a massive fan of the band and punk rock in general, she had a blast dancing to the song. She also revealed that she hadn't rehearsed or practiced beforehand. Whatever we saw was done on the spot.

The original plan was to have a flash mob, but Ortega suggested to the director that Wednesday Addams was better off alone. She said:

"Initially, they wanted a flash mob, but I thought, no, there's no way Wednesday would be cool with dancing and encouraging a bunch of people."

Ortega then revealed that she had no time to practice the dance as she was practicing cello and fencing that week. She then went on to say:

"I had not gone over it at all. Oh, my God. I was kicking myself. I felt like such a fool. I'm not a dancer. I don't do any of that. I have no experience in that field. I didn't sleep for two days."

Constructing the scene, she saw videos of Siouxsie Sioux, Lene Lovich, and Nina Hagen, as well as Denis Levant's dance moves in Claire Denis' 1999 classic Beau Travail, yet, felt underprepared on set. Ortega even paid homage to Lisa Loring, the first Wednesday Addams, in the scene, but that part was unfortunately edited out.

Ortega initially shrugged off upon being told that her dance was "gonna be a thing on TikTok," but their prediction did indeed come true.

The breakout star will next be seen in the Paramount+ thriller film Finestkind alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, and Toby Wallace and reprise the role of Tara Carpenter in Scream VI.

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What is Netflix's hit series Wednesday about?

Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Wednesday is an American coming-of-age supernatural mystery comedy horror streaming television series based on the character Wednesday Addams by Charles Addams.

The show's official description reads:

"Smart, sarcastic and a little dead inside, Wednesday Addams investigates a murder spree while making new friends — and foes — at Nevermore Academy."

Along with Jenna Ortega as the titular character, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Fred Armisen, and Christina Ricci appear in supporting roles.

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Wednesday is now streaming on Netflix worldwide.