When it comes to movies that I adore, a film I always grew up watching and loving was The Addams Family, as well as its sequel. Released in the 1990s, the films were a big part of my childhood and I’m about 90% sure that they’re a part of the reason I grew up liking creepy things, like the best horror movies. I'm sure a lot of horror fans started with this kooky family. And, of course, my favorite character was Wednesday.
Turns out, she’s just about everyone's favorite character in The Addams Family franchise, because that character has gotten her own TV series on Netflix, called Wednesday. The series follows the legendary character as she goes to the school called Nevermore, a place for misfits like herself, while discovering the secrets that the school has hidden.
With a very large ensemble, the Wednesday cast is full of stars. Here is where you might have seen them before.
Jenna Ortega (Wednesday Addams)
Starting off with our star, we take a look at Jenna Ortega, who plays the titular character in Wednesday. From the moment I saw Ortega in that first teaser trailer, I knew she was the perfect fit for this role, and with her background, it’s even better.
While Ortega got her start on children’s television shows, mainly on the Disney Channel, she only started to grow in popularity as she began to appear in more adult roles. She had a main character role in Season 2 of You on Netflix, and has established herself as a scream queen with roles in both 2022’s Scream (a role she is reprising in Scream 6), and in the gory A24 film, X.
Truly, she may be young, but this actress is just getting started, and I’m sure this is not the last time we are going to see her.
Gwendoline Christie (Principle Larissa Weems)
Next up on the list is Gwendoline Christie, who portrays the leader of Nevermore, Principle Larissa Weems, in Wednesday. The actress is probably most known for her role in the Game of Thrones cast as Brienne of Tarth, a role she played for several seasons until the show concluded.
However, Christie has done plenty of other work in the world of television. She played Lexi in Wizards vs Aliens, Lucifer in the fantasy series, The Sandman, and is set to be in the second season of Severance. She also had a role in the Star Wars universe as Captain Phasma, and appeared in films such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Welcome to Marwen, The Darkest of Minds, and more.
Jamie McShane (Sheriff Galpin)
Next up on the list, we have Jamie McShane, who plays Sheriff Galpin in Wednesday, someone who isn’t the biggest fan of Nevermore. McShane has been in a variety of television roles, including on the popular FX drama, Sons of Anarchy, as well as in Southland, The Lincoln Lawyer, CSI: Vegas, and Bloodline. He also had small roles in shows like 24, The Fosters, Fear the Walking Dead and more.
McShane also had a small role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when he played Agent Jackson in both Thor and The Avengers. He also appeared in movies like Argo, Gone Girl, the Disney+ original film Togo, and Mank among others.
Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe)
Percy Hynes White plays Xavier Thorpe in Wednesday, and the young actor has done plenty in television ever since he started. White is probably most known for his role in The Gifted, where he played Andy Strucker, but he’s appeared in several other TV shows like Between, Odd Squad, Murdoch Mysteries and more. Recently, he’s been in the cast for Pretty Hard Cases.
Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin)
Next up, we take a look at Hunter Doohan, who plays Tyler Galpin in Wednesday. Doohan is probably most known for his role as Adam Desiato in the fantastic Showtime series, Your Honor, where he stars alongside Bryan Cranston, but he’s done plenty of other great roles, too.
Doohan played Teenage Warren on Truth Be Told, and guest starred on several other shows including Coffee House Chronicles, Westworld, Schooled, and Aware I’m Rare. He also appeared in the films Where We Disappear and Soundwave.
Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair)
Moving on, we look at Emma Myers, who plays Enid Sinclair, Wednesday’s cheerful roommate in Wednesday. The talent is relatively new to Hollywood, but she’s guest-starred on several television shows before, including Dead of Night, The Baker and the Beauty, and The Glades. She also appeared in the movie Girl in the Basement.
However, this will be Emma Myers' first major role on a television series, and one can only imagine what she’ll do next.
Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay)
In Wednesday, Joy Sunday portrays Bianca Barclay, a classmate of Wednesday's in the show. Sunday has appeared in multiple TV shows, and had a recurring role in Yas Kween, while also appearing in shows such as Carol’s Second Act, Good Trouble, MacGyver, and Dear White People.
Joy Sunday also appeared in the films Dog, The Beta Test, and Bad Hair.
Naomi J. Ogawa (Yoko Tanaka)
Next up, we take a look at Naomi J. Ogawa, who portrays Yoko Tanaka in Wednesday, another classmate at Nevermore and a vampire. Ogawa is relatively new to the world of Hollywood, with her only role so far being Kate in the film Skylines, but I’m sure that after Wednesday, it won’t be long before we see her in something else.
Moosa Mostafa (Eugene Ottinger)
Moosa Mostafa plays Eugene Ottinger in Wednesday, another classmate at Nevermore, and the young actor is still relatively new to the world of television and movies. His only film credit thus far lists him as being a part of St. Bernadette’s class in Nativity Rocks!, and he portrayed Nas in the TV series, The Last Bus. But I’m sure that after Wednesday he’ll pop up in more fun shows and movies soon enough.
Georgie Farmer (Ajax Petropolus)
The last classmate we’re going to be talking about today is Ajax Petropolus, who is played by Georgie Farmer in Wednesday. Farmer is mainly known for his role as Jake Crossley in the TV series, The Evermoor Chronicles, but he’s appeared in several other shows, including The Ministry of Curious Stuff, Ill Behavior, Doctors, and Treadstone. Farmer also appeared in the film, Ready Player One.
Riki Lindhome (Dr. Valerie Kinbott)
Moving on, we take a look at Riki Lindhome, who plays Dr. Valerie Kinbott in Wednesday, a therapist who is trying to help Wednesday. Lindhome has done a lot in television, appearing in shows such as Titus, the fantasy series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, The Big Bang Theory, Enlightened, and more. Lindhome has also lent her voice to the world of animation, with one of her biggest roles being as Kimberly Harris on Duncanville.
Lindhome has also been very successful in the movie industry, appearing in films such as Million Dollar Baby, Much Ado About Nothing, The Lego Batman Movie, Nothing, Pulse, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, and in 2019, Knives Out.
Christina Ricci (Marilyn Thornhill)
I mean, we can’t have a Wednesday TV series without one of the most recognizable versions of Wednesday, and that is Christina Ricci – although she doesn’t play the titular character, considering that the actress is all grown up now. However, who she does play in Wednesday is Marilyn Thornhill.
Ricci has done a lot in her career after her time in The Addams Family franchise. Most recently, she was a part of the cast of Yellowjackets, a role she’ll be reprising in Season 2 of the series. However, Ricci has done a lot on television, including roles on shows like Ally McBeal, Pan Am, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, and Z: The Beginning of Everything, among many guest appearances.
Ricci has also appeared in many films, including Casper, Now and Then, The Ice Storm, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Anything Else, Prozac Nation, Speed Racer, The Matrix Resurrections, Penelope, and more.
The Rest Of The Addams Family
Look, we all know that the series is focused on Wednesday and that is completely alright, but let’s talk about the rest of the Addams family for a little bit before we go, because it’s something to see in Wednesday.
Playing Morticia Addams is Catherine Zeta-Jones, someone who is well known in the movie world and has been in several critically-acclaimed films. She even won an Academy Award for her starring role in Chicago. Luis Guzman plays Gomez Addams, the patriarch of the family. Guzman has done plenty in the world of movies, appearing in films such as The Limey, Traffic, the Jordan Peele-written movie, Keanu, and more. He was also on the HBO series, Oz.
Isaac Ordonez plays Pugsley Addams, Wednesday’s little brother, and he is new to Hollywood, as Pugsley is his first major role. Fred Armisen plays Uncle Fester in Wednesday, further continuing his ability to play hilarious characters on television. Armisen has been in the Schmigadoon! cast, Portlandia, Documentary Now!, Moonbase 8 and more.
Truly, there are so many amazing cast members of this show that we could talk about for hours on end and give them so much praise. And, I’m sure that after Wednesday, we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in movies and on TV – maybe even in a 2023 movie or television release.
