Jenna Ortega has inspired a new TikTok trend thanks to her epic dance scene in Netflix’s record-breaking new series “Wednesday”.
Since episode four of the “Addams Family” spin-off series, Ortega has become a viral dancing queen, prompting thousands of fans, including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian and her daughter North, to re-create her titular character Wednesday Addams’ intense dance number on the popular app. Now, the actress is sharing details on how the viral dance came to be.
“Initially, they wanted a flash mob, but I thought, no, there’s no way Wednesday would be cool with dancing and encouraging a bunch of people,” the 20-year-old star told Jimmy Fallon on Friday’s episode of “The Tonight Show”. “The director, Tim Burton, and I talked about it a little bit, and he said, ‘Yeah, let’s not do a circle. Let’s have it be her own thing.'”
READ MORE: ‘Wednesday’ Criticized For Filming Dance Scene While Jenna Ortega Had COVID
“A week before we shot the dance, he chose the song ‘Goo Goo Muck’ by The Cramps,” Ortega continued, referring to the 1981 track. “And The Cramps is one of my favourite bands ever, so I was super excited, super pumped.”
The actress went on to explain how she even got to choreograph the routine herself, however Ortega only found out two days before she was due to shoot the scene.
“[Burton] was like, ‘I know you’ve got it. You’ve been working on it. I’m not even worried about it. I trust you.’ And I said, ‘Oh, yeah, you know, it’s all so good,'” the “You” actress recalled, noting that she had “no plan” yet.
“I had not gone over it at all,” she told Fallon. “I was kicking myself. I felt like such a fool. I’m not a dancer. I don’t do any of that. I have no experience in that field. I didn’t sleep for two days.”
READ MORE: ‘Wednesday’ Fans Are Freaking Out Over How Thing’s Scenes Were Filmed With A Real Actor
Nonetheless, Ortega nailed the dance making it a viral success, which Netflix officials already knew was “gonna be a thing on TikTok,” the actress noted.
“And then they were right,” she said.
For more on how Ortega prepared for her big dance break, which included watching “archival footage of goth kids dancing in clubs in the ’80s” and paying tribute to Lisa Loring, who was just 6-years-old when she originated the role of Wednesday in the ’60s comedy series “The Addams Family”, check out her full interview on “The Tonight Show”.
