Jenna Ortega explains why Wednesday Addams doesn't blink in new Netflix show

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By Phoebe Egoroff

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Viewers of Netflix's new series Wednesday have spotted something unusual about the titular character - she never appears to blink.

Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday Addams in the latest series about the Addams Family's only daughter, has ended the mystery and revealed exactly why the character doesn't blink.

The latest generation of Addams Family fans have been able to see Wednesday in a whole new light, thanks to director Tim Burton's latest series, which was released on Netflix this month.

The show focuses on Wednesday's life as a student attending a boarding school for misfits, working on harnessing her growing psychic ability and attempting to solve a years-long murder mystery involving her parents.

Check out the trailer for Netflix's new series Wednesday:

Many fans took to Twitter to express their praise for the 20-year-old actress, with one person writing: "Jenna Ortega was born to be Wednesday Addams. Sheesh."

Last week, Ortega appeared on Today to plug her latest show, giving the hosts a glimpse as to how she and Burton worked together to create a perfectly unique version of Wednesday.

"She doesn't blink," Ortega said. "[Burton] likes it when I tilt my chin down and look through my eyebrows, kind of like a Kubrick stare, and then I relax all the muscles in my face."

According to TV Tropes, a Kubrick stare refers to: "A shot of [an actor] glowering up at the camera from beneath lowered brows. This was the trademark visual in A Clockwork Orange, and Jack Nicholson practiced it in The Shining."

In the interview, Ortega - who revealed that the show was shot in Romania - explained that shooting in the harsh winter was something she had to get accustomed to and that not blinking during the scenes was "pretty annoying."

Eventually, she was able to figure out a way around it, blinking while her co-stars said their lines and holding off when she delivered her own.

However, she seems to have caused stress among netizens, who decided to take note and check if they could catch her blinking throughout the series.

"I really wish I wouldn't have read that Jenna Ortega does not blink for the entirety of Wednesday bc now I'm going to be hyper-fixated on seeing if she ever blinks," someone commented on Twitter.

"Well thanks, now I'm gonna have to pay attention, too," another user replied.

Though, one commenter added that they'd caught Ortega blinking several times, adding: "She does frequently. I was looking for it and she blinks and lot during the scenes when she is at her writing desk."

Burton himself has praised Ortega, stating in a recent interview: "Jenna's one of the most talented people I've worked with. She's like a silent movie actress in the sense that she's able to convey things without words. Her words are very strong, and she's got a very strong point of view, but to show the subtleties underneath that was very, very exciting."

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Jenna Ortega finessed the ability not to blink while starring as Wednesday Addams Credit: Image Press Agency / Alamy

"It's exciting to see Wednesday as an older character, we usually see Wednesday as a younger girl, and so it was exciting to explore those weird feelings you have as a teenager that sometimes never really leave you," he added, via Express.

The macabre series - also starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as Wednesday's mother Morticia and former Wednesday actress Christina Ricci as the young teen's teacher - is available to watch now on Netflix.

Featured image credit: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy

Jenna Ortega explains why Wednesday Addams doesn't blink in new Netflix show

vt-author-image

By Phoebe Egoroff

Article saved!Article saved!

Viewers of Netflix's new series Wednesday have spotted something unusual about the titular character - she never appears to blink.

Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday Addams in the latest series about the Addams Family's only daughter, has ended the mystery and revealed exactly why the character doesn't blink.

The latest generation of Addams Family fans have been able to see Wednesday in a whole new light, thanks to director Tim Burton's latest series, which was released on Netflix this month.

The show focuses on Wednesday's life as a student attending a boarding school for misfits, working on harnessing her growing psychic ability and attempting to solve a years-long murder mystery involving her parents.

Check out the trailer for Netflix's new series Wednesday:

Many fans took to Twitter to express their praise for the 20-year-old actress, with one person writing: "Jenna Ortega was born to be Wednesday Addams. Sheesh."

Last week, Ortega appeared on Today to plug her latest show, giving the hosts a glimpse as to how she and Burton worked together to create a perfectly unique version of Wednesday.

"She doesn't blink," Ortega said. "[Burton] likes it when I tilt my chin down and look through my eyebrows, kind of like a Kubrick stare, and then I relax all the muscles in my face."

According to TV Tropes, a Kubrick stare refers to: "A shot of [an actor] glowering up at the camera from beneath lowered brows. This was the trademark visual in A Clockwork Orange, and Jack Nicholson practiced it in The Shining."

In the interview, Ortega - who revealed that the show was shot in Romania - explained that shooting in the harsh winter was something she had to get accustomed to and that not blinking during the scenes was "pretty annoying."

Eventually, she was able to figure out a way around it, blinking while her co-stars said their lines and holding off when she delivered her own.

However, she seems to have caused stress among netizens, who decided to take note and check if they could catch her blinking throughout the series.

"I really wish I wouldn't have read that Jenna Ortega does not blink for the entirety of Wednesday bc now I'm going to be hyper-fixated on seeing if she ever blinks," someone commented on Twitter.

"Well thanks, now I'm gonna have to pay attention, too," another user replied.

Though, one commenter added that they'd caught Ortega blinking several times, adding: "She does frequently. I was looking for it and she blinks and lot during the scenes when she is at her writing desk."

Burton himself has praised Ortega, stating in a recent interview: "Jenna's one of the most talented people I've worked with. She's like a silent movie actress in the sense that she's able to convey things without words. Her words are very strong, and she's got a very strong point of view, but to show the subtleties underneath that was very, very exciting."

wp-image-1263180830 size-full
Jenna Ortega finessed the ability not to blink while starring as Wednesday Addams Credit: Image Press Agency / Alamy

"It's exciting to see Wednesday as an older character, we usually see Wednesday as a younger girl, and so it was exciting to explore those weird feelings you have as a teenager that sometimes never really leave you," he added, via Express.

The macabre series - also starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as Wednesday's mother Morticia and former Wednesday actress Christina Ricci as the young teen's teacher - is available to watch now on Netflix.

Featured image credit: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy