Jenna Ortega Wednesday Season 3: How the Role Changed Her and What Comes Next
DUBLIN, Ireland
What Happened?
Jenna Ortega has opened up about Wednesday Season 3, currently in production in Dublin, Ireland, revealing that her iconic portrayal of Wednesday Addams has measurably changed the way she thinks and operates in real life. In a candid August 2026 interview with Esquire, the actress also addressed the next chapter of her career, describing a deliberate shift toward projects that carry deeper personal meaning. Here is everything Swagsy knows about what Jenna Ortega said about Jenna Ortega Wednesday Season 3 and where she is headed next.
Three seasons deep into one of Netflix’s most-watched series, and the character is still getting inside her head. That is the admission Jenna Ortega made in a new interview, and it is one of the more honest things a franchise actress has said about the long-term psychological weight of playing the same character across years of intensive production.
Wednesday Addams is not a character you play lightly. She is cold, precise, contemptuous of almost everyone around her, and relentlessly self-contained. Ortega has inhabited that world since 2022, and by her own account, the role has left a distinct impression on who she is when the cameras are not rolling.
At the same time, Ortega is navigating something bigger: the transition from a young actress defined by a breakout role into a working professional who gets to choose what that career looks like going forward. The Esquire conversation captured both sides of that moment clearly.
The Interview: What Jenna Ortega Said About Wednesday Season 3
On Monday, August 11, 2026, Just Jared published details from Jenna Ortega’s recent Esquire interview, in which the actress spoke candidly about the experience of being deep in production on Wednesday Season 3 in Dublin, Ireland. Filming began in February 2026, and with the long production schedule, Ortega acknowledged that the character has a way of seeping into her daily consciousness.
How Has Wednesday Addams Changed Jenna Ortega?
Per the Esquire interview, Ortega noted that she and Wednesday Addams “mesh pretty well” as personalities — a remark that lands somewhere between self-aware humor and genuine insight. She described the character “peeking out a bit more, here and there” during the production, catching herself thinking with Wednesday’s characteristic bluntness and detachment. After years of inhabiting such a precisely defined character, that kind of crossover is not surprising; it is an occupational reality for any actor in a long-running franchise role.
What Is Wednesday Season 3 About?
The upcoming third season will follow Wednesday Addams and the Nevermore Academy students into their senior year of high school, with the narrative centering on what Ortega described as more “confrontational feelings” around family, identity, and the future. New cast members joining the season include Eva Green as Aunt Ophelia, Lena Headey, and Andrew McCarthy, alongside returning stars Winona Ryder and the core cast. First-look images released during production have also teased a Paris storyline for Wednesday. Per industry projections, a 2027 arrival on Netflix appears most likely.
The Context: Jenna Ortega's Next Career Chapter
Beyond the Wednesday universe, Ortega has been deliberate about the projects she selects. In the Esquire interview, she described this period as a “new chapter,” characterized by a conscious pivot toward roles and stories she feels a deep, genuine connection to rather than projects defined by commercial visibility alone.
This is already visible in her recent film slate. In 2026, Ortega appeared in A24’s Death of a Unicorn, a sharp departure from the gothic teen drama that made her a household name. The choice of an A24 project signals a deliberate alignment with prestige independent filmmaking, the kind of career pivot that separates long-term serious actresses from those who remain franchise-bound indefinitely.
Ortega is years old and has already headlined one of the most-streamed shows in Netflix history. The combination of franchise stability and genuine creative ambition makes her trajectory genuinely unusual among her peers.
The Swagsy Take
What This Really Means
The most interesting thing Jenna Ortega said was not about Wednesday's Paris storyline or the new cast members. It was the admission that the character is still getting under her skin three seasons in. That is a rare moment of honesty from a franchise lead, and it tells you something important about the depth of her investment in the role. Most actors talk about keeping characters separate. Ortega is acknowledging the blur — and using it deliberately.
Ortega is in a position very few actors achieve this early: she simultaneously owns a top-tier franchise role AND is actively building a parallel prestige film career. Most actors have to choose one or the other. The A24 path and the Netflix path are typically divergent. She is running both at the same time, which requires a level of professional discipline and self-awareness that most mid-twenties performers simply do not have.
The Swagsy read: The “new chapter” framing in the Esquire interview is not casual. It is a deliberate signal. Ortega is telling the industry what she wants the next phase of her career to look like, and she is doing it from a position of considerable leverage. Wednesday gives her the platform. The film choices will determine the legacy.
Quick Facts About Jenna Ortega
Full Name: Jenna Marie Ortega
Born: September 27, 2002 | Age: | Coachella Valley, California
Nationality: American (Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage)
Profession: Actress
Claim to Fame: Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday (2022–present); also known for Scream, X, and A24’s Death of a Unicorn
Net Worth: $5M–15M (est.)
Instagram: approximately 27M followers
Surprising Fact: Ortega learned to play cello specifically for her role as Wednesday Addams, becoming genuinely proficient on the instrument during Season 1 production. The viral cello scene in the show was not faked.
Wednesday Season 3 is currently filming in Dublin, Ireland, with a projected 2027 Netflix release.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jenna Ortega filming Wednesday Season 3?
Jenna Ortega is actively filming Wednesday Season 3 in Dublin, Ireland. Production began in February 2026 and is ongoing as of August 2026. Netflix has not confirmed an official release date, but a 2027 premiere is widely anticipated.
How has the Wednesday role changed Jenna Ortega?
In a 2026 interview with Esquire, Jenna Ortega revealed that playing Wednesday Addams for multiple seasons has genuinely affected her off-screen personality. She described the character as someone she meshes well with naturally, and noted that Wednesday's blunt, detached way of thinking occasionally 'peeks out' while she is deeply immersed in long production schedules.
What is Wednesday Season 3 about?
Wednesday Season 3 will follow the Nevermore Academy students into their senior year of high school, with a focus on more confrontational feelings around family, identity, and the future. The season also reportedly includes a Paris storyline for Wednesday Addams, based on first-look production images released in 2026.
Who are the new cast members in Wednesday Season 3?
Wednesday Season 3 features several major new cast additions, including Eva Green as Aunt Ophelia, Lena Headey, Andrew McCarthy, and Chris Sarandon. Returning cast members include Winona Ryder and the core ensemble from previous seasons.
What is Jenna Ortega's next career chapter?
Jenna Ortega has described 2026 as the beginning of a new chapter in her career, characterized by a shift toward projects with deeper personal meaning. Beyond the Wednesday franchise, she has been pursuing prestige independent films, including A24's Death of a Unicorn in 2026, signaling an intentional move toward more creatively ambitious roles.
What is Jenna Ortega's net worth?
Jenna Ortega's net worth is estimated between $5 million and $15 million (est.), built primarily through her leading role in Netflix's Wednesday, film appearances in the Scream franchise and A24 projects, and major brand endorsements.
Did Jenna Ortega really play cello for Wednesday?
Jenna Ortega genuinely learned to play the cello for her role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series. The viral cello performance scene in Wednesday Season 1 was not faked or overdubbed. Ortega spent weeks learning the instrument specifically for the role during pre-production.