Jenna Ortega unknowingly had COVID-19 while filming a pivotal dance scene for Netflix's Wednesday.
During a school dance scene at Nevermore, the magical academy Wednesday Addams gets sent to after one too many incidents at public schools, the teen goth busts out some serious dance moves to 'Goo Goo Muck' by punk band The Cramps. "It's crazy," Ortega told NME, after sharing that she choreographed the scene herself. "It was my first day with COVID so it was awful to film."
Ortega explained that she woke up with body aches that morning, which was strange for her as someone who rarely ever gets sick. "I felt like I’d been hit by a car and that a little goblin had been let loose in my throat and was scratching the walls of my esophagus," she explained. "They were giving me medicine between takes because we were waiting on the positive result."
Once the test came back positive, Ortega was promptly removed from set following strict COVID protocols. "I asked to redo it but we didn’t have time," she added. “I think I probably could have done it a bit better…"
The production company behind Wednesday, MGM, said in a statement that "strict COVID protocols were followed and once the positive test was confirmed production removed Jenna from set."
Ortega also revealed that she took her moves from punk icon Siouxsie Sioux, having watched the music video for their single 'Happy House' prior to filming the scene: "There’s a bit in Wednesday’s dance where I’m jumping to the left and I have my arms to the side and that’s something that [Siouxsie] did on stage later in her career."
NME describes the scene as a "quirky, jerky jive session" and likens it to the iconic dance scene in Pulp Fiction – so, naturally, we're excited to watch.
Wednesday premieres November 23 only on Netflix, with all eight episodes immediately available to stream. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to add to your queue.
