Jenna Ortega reveals why she "kept telling everyone no" to 'Wednesday'

Ahead of the highly anticipated second season of Wednesday, star and producer Jenna Ortega is opening up about why she originally wasn't interested in the project and how the character is a pop-culture icon. 

"I was getting to this point in my career where I was doing movies and getting in the rooms," she told Harper's BAZAAR. "So I kept telling everyone no. I almost didn’t want to hear what Tim [Burton] had to say, and really like it, and feel like I needed to do it—which is kind of what happened."

Meanwhile, executive producer and director Tim Burton explained, "It all hinged upon finding somebody to play Wednesday. It had to be somebody who just had it in her soul, and when we saw Jenna, there was just no question." 

Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem. Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery. 

The series comes from creator/showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and the upcoming season will be split into two parts. Part 1 will premiere on August 6 and consist of the first four episodes. Part 2 will then premiere on September 3 and include the final four episodes. This season, Burton directs episodes 2x01, 2x04, 2x07, and 2x08. Paco Cabezas and Angela Robinson also direct. 

As for what fans can expect, the actress commented, "Season 2 is bigger, bolder, gorier, and a bit darker," adding, "It’s sillier in the best way possible."