Younger siblings sometimes languish in the shadow of an older counterpart. Fortunately for Isaac Ordonez, all the best scenes on “Wednesday” happen in dark corners.
Co-created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the Emmy- winning Netflix series reimagines the decades-old “Addams Family” franchise as a spooky young-adult fantasy centered on star Jenna Ortega’s titular misfit. Ordonez plays Pugsley Addams, Wednesday’s sensitive younger brother.
The 16-year-old actor cut his teeth on various short films and a music video for the Canadian duo Chromeo. “Wednesday,” executive produced by Tim Burton, marks his first major role. And what a way to make a splash: Season 1 spent 20 weeks atop the streamer’s global top 10.
This go-round, Ordonez has been bumped up to series regular. Pugsley has joined his sister at Nevermore Academy, a gothic school full of psychics, werewolves, and supernatural secrets that stalk TV’s first family of fright. Season 2 debuted on the streamer earlier this month with its first four episodes; the second half creeps in Sept. 3.
Here, Ordonez tells us about settling into Pugsley’s iconic striped shirt and learning valuable lessons on set.
Your first major role is on a hit show. What have you learned about acting from your costars?
Luis Guzmán, who plays my dad [Gomez Addams], he actually gave me some pointers. We finished early on a certain day, so he asked some of the crew to [stick around]. We did camera exercises, which did prove very useful later on.
Basically, he placed my mark on the floor. He’d tell me if it was a wide lens, a tight lens, or a regular lens; [then] he had me walk out of the room. They’d switch where the mark was. I couldn’t look at the floor when I walked [back] in. I just pretended I was in the scene. I had to find the right spot on camera without even knowing where my mark was.
How do you put your own stamp on a role like Pugsley, who’s been played many times by different actors?
You’ve got to start with the source material and, of course, look at different iterations of Pugsley. I think the ones I got the most out of were the animated “Addams Family” movies.
But also, Pugsley is lonely at Nevermore. You see a deeper side of him on this show. Wednesday is getting all the attention from the family, and not so much him. He probably heard Wednesday talking about all these friends she made—and Wednesday doesn’t make friends. So, of course, he thought that he was going to make friends, and to his surprise, he doesn’t. It’s great to play around with that.
Credit: Jonathan Hession/Netflix
How has your approach to the character changed from season to season?
In Season 1, we see him in a very emotional state. His dad’s in jail, or he’s saying goodbye
to Wednesday. But in Season 2, we see his energetic, chaotic side way more—his devious, sneaky side.
Are there any ways that you identify with Pugsley, or particular ways that you’re different?
I don’t eat bugs.
This season, we also see Pugsley tap into the power to control electricity. What’s it like performing scenes where the special effects are added in later?
We tried out different hand motions depending on the scale of the electricity. Maybe a little flick for a small [amount], or, say, a [bigger gesture for] a massive ball of electricity.
Who are your acting role models?
Oscar Isaac. He’s a great actor. Also, Jenna, because she does so many horror movies. She works nonstop.
What attracts you to the horror genre?
For one, the really cool characters, but the scares are always fun. It’d be really fun to play getting killed.
What else should people expect from Season 2 of “Wednesday”?
Everything’s grander in scale—more characters, more monsters. Just know not everyone in this story is safe.
Do you have a dream role or project?
I’m a really big “Jurassic Park” fan. “Star Wars,” too. I actually did do background for a “Star Wars” show, and being on set was so mind-blowing. And then, of course, horror franchises. I love the “Alien” franchise.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This story originally appeared in the August 18 issue of Backstage Magazine.