Jenna Ortegastar in the hit Netflix series “Wednesday,” has been criticized by veteran Hollywood producer and filmmaker Steven DeKnight for her behavior on the spot. DeKnight took to Twitter to condemn Ortega’s behavior, which was revealed during an appearance on Dax Shepard’s podcast “Armchair Expert.”
Ortega admitted to changing lines in the script and behaving unprofessionally on set, actions DeKnight called “justified” and “beyond toxic.”
DeKnightwho has worked on hit shows such as “Daredevil” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” said that while he loves “talking to actors about their lines/stories,” stars sometimes “don’t have the full picture (on TV) of where the story is going and why some lines are needed to make the whole opinion.” He also blamed Ortega’s age for her actions, but said she “should” be aware of how things work.
Ortega, who is 20 years old, admitted on the podcast that she put her “foot down” on set, bordering on being “unprofessional” for the sake of her Addams Family character, of whom she was “very protective”.
She said her character participating in a “love triangle” made “no sense” and she repeatedly told writers, “No,” to plot points — even at times “changing lines” even in the script. She even went so far as to admit that most of the time she was unhappy with her performance.
The series has been renewed for a second season
Despite Ortegabehavior, “Wednesday” was a huge success for Netflix. It quickly rose as the streaming giant’s second-biggest English-language show of all time, recording 1.02 billion hours watched in the three weeks following its Nov. 16 debut, with more than 150 million homes watching.
However, the show’s popularity did not deter its producers from working with Ortega again. Not only will Ortega play Wednesday for a second season, but she will also serve as an executive producer herself.
In the end, Ortega’s behavior on set may have been unprofessional, but that did not detract from the success of “Wednesday.” It will be interesting to see how her role as executive producer affects the creative process in the second season.