"Everything that I said felt so magnified"— Jenna Ortega addresses writers' criticism over her comments about impromptu lines change in 'Wednesday'

Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega reflected on the criticism she faced for making impromptu line changes on the show. In a Tuesday, August 6, 2024, interview with Vanity Fair for their cover story, the 21-year-old recalled the time, stating:

"Everything that I said felt so magnified... It felt almost dystopian to me. I felt like a caricature of myself."

Ortega is referring to her March 2023 appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, where she explained she had to "put (her) foot down" and "start changing lines." She explained that the lines disagreed with her character, and she changed them without consulting the show's writers.

The actress rose to fame playing Wednesday Adams on the 2022 Netflix show. The show was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The series was met with critical and commercial success, with Ortega's performance being particularly praised.

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"I probably could have used my words better"— Jenna Ortega about her Armchair Expert interview

During her interview with Shepard, Jenna Ortega explained that she felt that what she was asked to portray "did not make sense for her character at all." The actress' comments came at a time when writers were on the brink of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

At the time, many slammed the 21-year-old, calling her toxic and "beyond entitled" (Steven DeKnight of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame). During the strike, many writers on the picket lines carried signs referring to Ortega. A House Party scribe held a sign that read, "Without writers, Jenna Ortega will have nothing to punch up!"

Remembering the backlash, the Scream VI actress admitted:

"To be fair... I probably could have used my words better in describing all of that."

She continued:

"I think, oftentimes, I'm such a rambler. I think it was hard because I felt like had I represented the situation better, it probably would've been received better."

Jenna Ortega elaborated that at times she became "unprofessional" on the sets of Wednesday when she tried to keep the character authentic. However, the actress explained that the debacle taught her an important lesson.

"You’re never going to please everybody, and as someone who naturally was a people pleaser, that was really hard for me to understand. Some people just may not like you... and that’s entirely fine."

Ortega admitted that, as an actor on sets, she was not in charge. The 21-year-old actress reasoned that for the lead character, who is in almost every scene on the show, it was important that she be "involved in what’s going on behind the scenes."

During her interview, the 21-year-old revealed she serves as a producer on the second season of Wednesday, which allows her to give her input on the sets. Something Ortega expressed she "live(s) for."

Season 2 of Wednesday is currently under production and set to come out sometime next year.