While Jenna Ortega appears to have been born for the role of Wednesday Addams in Tim Burton's 2022 series, Wednesday, she has quite a long history of other dark and twisty representations to compete with. Inspired by the comic strip of one Charles Addams with live-action adaptations dating back to the 60s, The Addams Family has intrigued viewers for several generations, and fans simply cannot get enough!
Morticia and Gomez decided to name their beloved daughter after the once-popular nursery rhyme, called "Monday's Child". This gothic girl's infamous title has nothing to do with when she was born, but simply because “Wednesday's child is full of woe.” Her favorite headless doll pops up regularly and is named after Marie Antionette (who was infamously beheaded) just to remind fans what kind of kid they are dealing with!
Updated on December 2, 2022 by Levana Chester-Londt: Wednesday's showbiz journey has officially come full circle as the Princess of Darkness is now the lead heroine in her own spin-off series with the artistic assistance of the creative genius, Tim Burton. With a star-studded cast and dialogue dripping with side-splitting one-liners, Wednesday's debut is met with stellar reviews and a plea for more mysterious adventures in the future.
However, the big question remains: how does Jenna Ortega's performance fair against the other raven-haired girls before her, and is she able to knock the fan-favorite Christina Ricci off her thrown more than three decades later?
7 The Cheerful Cindy Henderson (1972-1973)
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The Addams Family (1973) was the first animated interpretation of Charles Addams' comic strip and did its best to include enough creepy content while simultaneously keeping things age-appropriate. While the incessant audience laugh tracks and choppy animation may be distracting to current Gen Z viewers (and younger), this series was a successful reintroduction to the original 1960s adaptation.
David Levy's version involves the influential family traveling around in an elaborate motor home, and the narrative techniques used reflected Mystery Incorporated's style so closely that the two even did a cross-over, with Scooby-Doo Meets The Addams Family. Unfortunately for Wednesday, she is made to wear a pink dress and is given a relatively sweet and cheerful personality, much to her parent's dismay.
6 The Delightful Debi Derryberry (1992 - 1993)
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Wednesday's sinister mindset is toned down quite significantly again in The Addams Family: The Animated Series, donning a blue dress with red tights instead of the typical black outfit. Unfortunately, most of Wednesday's diabolical deeds are deemed inappropriate for younger viewers, leaving much to the imagination as she regularly walks off-screen to destroy stuff. She gives the general impression of being the responsible one in the family, with an almost rational head on her shoulders.
Wednesday's dialogue (voiced by Debbie Derryberry) is as impeccable as ever, introducing the kiddos to a more advanced vocabulary, but she is often seen smiling, which is quite uncharacteristic. She is also relatively affectionate towards Pugsly and would rather enjoy a family dance than inciting torture; but again, Hanna-Barbera Productions had the children to consider and chose a more lighthearted narrative.
5 The Frightful Fugere (1998-1999)
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A twelve-year-old Nicole Fugere perfectly nails that quintessential blase attitude and monotonous tone that Wednesday is known best for, delighting fans with her dark and twisty persona. Fugere handles the macabre like a champ, showing the appropriate interest in torturous activities and items such as Pandora's Box and wielding a crossbow like a natural.
Fugere did such an outstanding job in her portrayal of Wednesday that she was the only cast member to feature in both the Addams Family Reunion and the corresponding spin-off series, The New Addams Family. Sadly, the comedic horror film bombed at the box office, however, the corny content of the spin-off series received better reviews overall, as a nostalgic reproduction of the 1960s hit.
4 The Melancholic Moretz (2019-2021)
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After a decade of slumber, Wednesday Addams is reawakened in a modernized animated rendition of the show, stealing the spotlight with her noose-shaped pig tales as the rebellious teenager who angers her mother by (slightly) conforming to social expectations. After relocating to New Jersey and scaring the local residents, Wednesday is inspired by a red balloon and seeks out friendship for the first time, spreading creepy corruption in her wake.
Chloe Mortez gives life to Wednesday alongside a star-studded cast, including Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard voicing her brother, Pugsley. The second installment involves a family vacation after Wednesday starts to question her connection to the Addams as she assumes the Black Sheep role once again (an impressive feat, considering her cooky competition!)
3 The Lugubrious Lisa Loring (1964 - 1966)
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While it's tough not to be completely adorable at just 6 years old, Lisa Loring set the standard for Wednesday's infamous death stare as the first cute face of little Miss Addams to appear on screen. Lisa's precious young voice perfectly contrasts her morbid dialogue, adding another element to The Addam's Family's comedic factor entirely.
While the children don't get as much screen time as their parents in this black-and-white original series, Wednesday seems to steal the spotlight more frequently than young Pugsly. Little Lisa undeniably set the tone for all the Wednesdays to follow as the picture-perfect daddy's girl with a keen interest in the macabre.
2 The Jaw-Dropping Jenna (2022)
While it is almost impossible to fault Jenna's incredible rendition of the Addams' favorite daughter, there is just something so intriguing about dark and twisty comments emerging from a young child's mouth, as opposed to an angsty teen. Nevertheless, Miss Ortega certainly captivates the attention of fans with her perfect balance of moodiness, sarcasm, and obsession with the macabre to produce some of the most entertaining content in the Addams Family franchise.
The iconic dance scene personally choreographed by Jenna in “Woe What a Night” (episode 4) is arguably the highlight of Jenna's performance, as it flawlessly personifies everything Wednesday stands for; weird, wonderful, wild, and somehow still surprisingly wholesome. The supernatural murder-mystery vibe of the series adds its own original flair to the reboot, helping Wednesday to proudly stand out from the rest as a young independent, highly intelligent woman, destined for great and gory things.
1 The Reigning Ricci (1991-1993)
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Nobody has been quite as successful at leaving a lasting impression than Christina Ricci's portrayal of Wednesday Addams, subsequently becoming an iconic 90s figure, arguably having as much impact as Winona Ryder's contribution to Bettlejuice did. In only her second feature film, the 10-year-old Christina perfectly personified the princess of darkness, so much so that fans created a petition to (successfully) secure her involvement in the Tim Burton series, Wednesday.
Under the direction of Barry Sonnenfeld, Ricci manages to turn the creep factor way up, delivering the most entertaining and sinister version of Wednesday (so far!) Ricci's involvement in the renditions of this bizarre family's spine-chilling story had a long-lasting effect on Wednesday's portrayals, elevating her past the supporting role to the leading lady she has become today.
Tim Burton's spin-off series, Wednesday, is currently streaming on Netflix.