Jenna Ortega vetoed a flash mob during Wednesday dance scene
That viral Wednesday dance scene was almost very different.
Series star Jenna Ortega recently stopped by Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast to discuss her experience on season 1 of the hit Netflix dramedy and revealed that when it came to Wednesday's big dance number — which went viral and even had Lady Gaga recreating it — the scene originally involved a bigger production number.
"Initially it was supposed to be a flash mob," Ortega said. "She was supposed to start dancing, and everyone was supposed to pick up on it and start dancing with her. And that I vetoed, because why would she be okay with that? I said, 'Either cut it or have Wednesday knock someone out, and then it's done.'"
Courtesy of Netflix Jenna Ortega on 'Wednesday'
Ortega also turned down a choreographer, deciding to craft the dance herself (and in two weeks no less). But that wasn't the only big decision Ortega says she made during the series.
"I don't think I've ever had to put my foot down on a set in the way that I had to on Wednesday," Ortega said, even getting into her decision to sometimes change dialogue. "There was a line about a dress that she has to wear for a school dance, and she says, 'Oh my God, I love it! I can't believe I said that. I literally hate myself.' And I had to go, 'No, there's no way.'
"There were times on that set where I even became almost unprofessional, in a sense, where I just started changing lines," she continued. "The script supervisor thought I was going with something, and then I would have to sit down with the writers, and they'd be like, 'Wait, what happened to the scene?' And I would have to go through and explain why I couldn't do certain things."
As Ortega put it, it all stemmed from her feeling "very protective" of her character.
Wednesday is currently streaming on Netflix and has been renewed for a second season.
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