Jenna Ortega was arguably part of one of the best pop culture moments of 2022 when her Wednesday dance went viral from the Netflix series. With a second season of Wednesday on the way, it wouldn’t be surprising if her stardom gets even bigger. However, a past role of hers is now going viral due to one line of dialogue that seemed to have predicted Ortega’s future as the gothic Addams Family member.
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Before she portrayed the fan-favorite Addams child, Ortega starred on Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle. The series followed her character, Harley, a middle child with six siblings. While explaining the situation to the audience, she used a particular metaphor that didn't mean much back then, but now it’s taken on a whole new meaning, as a YouTube short revealed:
Of course, Jenna Ortega didn’t literally predict that she was going to be Wednesday Addams, but it is pretty funny to look back on this and see that, in a way, she did manifest it during her days at Disney. Stuck in the Middle lasted for three seasons on the children’s network and kickstarted Ortega’s soon-to-be very successful career. So she does have the series to thank, even if it’s not exactly for predicting her successful Netflix role.
Ortega is a very busy person these days, and that’s on top of her Wednesday fame. She’s returning to the role of Tara Carpenter in the upcoming Scream VI, proving that she shed that Disney persona long ago. Though it may be a while until people completely get over her Disney past, and it doesn’t help that there is now an unintended connection between Ortega's past and the role she's gone viral for.
Meanwhile, Wednesday has proved to be a megahit on Netflix, and it took weeks for two series to dethrone it on the streamer. Since the series included one of the best music moments on TV in 2022, it should be interesting to see how, and if, it tops itself for the second season. Wednesday’s viral dance will be hard to beat, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Ortega pulls off something else in the future that is even bigger.
While it's quite the coincidence that Ortega's Disney character said she'd be Wednesday, she's not really anything like the glaring girl we met at Nevermore Academy. I think the use of Wednesday was more so to signify she's a middle child, rather than pay homage to the Addams Family character Ortega now plays. However, it's still a very fun coincidence that all these years later one of Ortega's first roles connects to her iconic turn as Wednesday Addams, a part she'll likely always be known for now.
Watch the first season of Wednesday now on Netflix with a subscription, and be sure to check out what we know about Season 2. If you have a Disney+ subscription, all three seasons of Stuck in the Middle are available to stream.
