Skip to main content

Wednesday premiered just last week, and it has quickly become a Netflix hit. In the week since it debuted, it has become the #1 television show on Netflix in 83 countries. Jenna Ortega, who leads the cast as Wednesday Addams, has received plenty of praise for the way she has reimagined the beloved character. But while the show is a treat to watch, it was a bit of a challenge to film. In fact, Christina Ricci was concerned that the whole cast would die at one point.

Wednesday cast members Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Christina Ricci
‘Wednesday’ cast members Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Christina Ricci | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Who does Christina Ricci portray in the ‘Wednesday’ cast?

Though Ricci has had a long and successful career (her most recent hit is the Showtime thriller, Yellowjackets), she is still well-known for her portrayal of Wednesday. Ricci made the Addams’ daughter famous in the ’90s with the films The Addams Family and Addams Family Values. However, she doesn’t reprise her role in the Netflix series. Instead, she was cast as Wednesday’s teacher and dorm mother, Marilyn Thornhill.

Where was the Netflix series ‘Wednesday’ filmed?

After being cast in Wednesday, Ricci flew out to Romania to film the project. The gorgeous forests, medieval towns, and distinct architecture of the European country provided the perfect backdrop for the show. However, Ricci admits to feeling nervous about filming in Romania after Russia’s war in Ukraine broke out. In a conversation with Ortega for Interview Magazine, the Sleepy Hollow alum admitted she had fears that the cast would somehow die up until the day they left.

Why Ricci thought the ‘Wednesday’ cast would die in Romania

“I remember that morning at 4 a.m. when everybody was in the lounge leaving Romania,” Ricci recalled of the Wednesday cast. “You guys were exhausted. I was crazed because I was sure that a nuclear power plant was going to be bombed somewhere near us, and we’d all die. I remember that feeling like we were escaping. We were getting out.”

Jenna Ortega felt bonded to her castmates after they wrapped season 1

Ortega seemed to agree with a few of Ricci’s sentiments. She expressed that she felt particularly bonded to the rest of the Wednesday cast due to what they managed to endure. “Everything was closed because you couldn’t do anything,” Ortega explained about filming in Romania for eight months. “It feels like we survived something. I wear that as a badge of honor now. I won’t be able to compare that to anything else.”

Related

Christina Ricci Once Stayed Naked on Set: ‘You’re Going to Have to Look at My Boobs.’

Ultimately, Ricci, Ortega, and the rest of the Wednesday cast were happy to be headed home after they wrapped season one. But despite all that, Ortega still has very fond memories of her time in Romania. “I had, I think, the biggest grin on my face,” The Fallout star shared about the day she left. “Not to say that Romania isn’t lovely and wonderful. I have met some of my favorite people that I still communicate with there.” Clearly, filming Wednesday was no walk in the park. Only time will tell if the cast returns to Romania if Netflix renews the show for season 2.