With those jet-black pigtails and that iconic death stare, Wednesday Addams is an instantly recognizable goth girl icon. First appearing in Charles Addams' comic strip, The Addams Family, Wednesday has been an infamous name since the '30s. And Wednesday's woe is back in full force with Netflix’s latest adaptation. From the mind of Tim Burton and created for television by Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, Wednesday may be a brand-new version of our favorite goth girl, but it has certainly got big shoes to fill. So, just how does Hollywood's newest Scream Queen Jenna Ortega rank in comparison? Let’s find out!
7 Cindy Henderson – 'The Addams Family' (1973)
Bringing Wednesday to Saturday morning TV, this animated version was created off the back of The New Scooby-Doo Movies episode named "Scooby-Doo Meets the Addams Family," also known as "Wednesday Is Missing." Developed by David Levy, the 1973 animated television series The Addams Family sees the Addams hit the open road in a Victorian house-style RV and get into all sorts of weird and wacky situations, from being offered a trip to the moon by crooks to being mistaken for a Stone Age tribe in Hawaii. But donning a pink dress and a cheerful disposition, Cindy Henderson’s Wednesday is not quite what we have come to expect from the delightfully devilish Addams daughter.
6 Debi Derryberry – 'The Addams Family' (1992-1993)
This second animated series starring the Addams family once again sees Wednesday's dark nature toned down to make the traditionally macabre family a little more child-friendly. Often seen smiling, Wednesday's sinister thoughts are kept behind closed doors here. But although you certainly won't see her trying to execute Pugsley (Jeannie Elias) in this one, there are still plenty of hijinks to be had between the pair. Debi Derryberry’s version only subtly hints at Wednesday's sardonic nature but leaves much to the imagination.
5 Nicole Fugere – 'The New Addams Family' (1998-1999), 'Addams Family Reunion' (1998)
Highlighting Wednesday's violent and sadistic personality to a T is Nicole Fugere. With Wednesday being given a more prominent role in the 1998 series compared to the original 1964 series, we get to see Wednesday back to her crossbow wielding ways. The New Addams Family was a spin-off of the 1998 movie, Addams Family Reunion, of which Fugere was the only cast member to be featured in both. Nailing that monotonous tone and evil glare, twelve-year-old Fugere seemed made for the part of Wednesday Addams.
4 Lisa Loring – 'The Addams Family' (1964-1966)
Lisa Loring proves you're never too young for that "butter wouldn’t melt so don't cross me" look. At just six years old, Lisa Loring is the youngest actress to play Wednesday. The Addams Family was the first TV adaptation of the hit cartoon strip. Although this black and white series may not have given quite as much attention to little Wednesday, her fondness for bizarre pets, such as a black widow spider and a lizard named Lucifer, not to mention a headless doll, was definitely a blueprint for what was to come.
3 Chloë Grace Moretz – 'The Addams Family,' 'The Addams Family 2' (2019-2021)
Bringing Wednesday into the modern age, Chloë Grace Moretz’s animated portrayal sees the oddly lovable character questioning her place in the world. Wednesday could certainly be described as a headstrong girl – but not your average one. Obsessed with torture and all things black and bleak, she has always fit the mold of the Addams family. But while Wednesday has her dark side down to a T, we never get to see the coming-of-age side. The 2019 animated film The Addams Family gave us just that. We got a chance to see a more well-rounded version of Wednesday, the one who contemplates who she is before deciding on it. In this version, we see Wednesday befriend a girl at school. She then dabbles with color and new perspectives before ultimately choosing who she was beforehand. Moretz breathed new life into the character of Wednesday Addams and gave yet another layer to the spooky teen. Plus, those noose-styled pigtails just scream Wednesday.
2 Christina Ricci – 'The Addams Family,' 'Addams Family Values' (1991-1993)
An icon of pop culture in the '90s, spawning many a Halloween costume, Christina Ricci’s version of Wednesday Addams is arguably one of the most beloved depictions. Taking dark and gloomy to a whole new level, Ricci was fantastic in the role. In the first movie installment we see her find an assortment of twisted ways to torture her brother, Pugsley (Jimmy Workman), but in the second installment, her evil ways are taken to even further extreme heights (quite literally). In Addams Family Values, we see Wednesday take to the rooftops with her baby brother in arms before plunging him to the ground. Of course, Gomez (Raul Julia) saves the baby, but still, Wednesday's macabre nature knows no bounds in this one.
1 Jenna Ortega – 'Wednesday' (2022)
When the king of goth, Tim Burton, meets the princess of goth, Wednesday Addams, you know you are in for something special. Just clinching the top spot for Wednesday portrayals has to be Jenna Ortega’s version. After all, the Netflix series is called Wednesday, so it's only right that this one gives us even more to love. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Nevermore Academy (the school for outcasts), the Netflix fantasy comedy series is a wonderful mixture of magic, mystery, and all things Wednesday. Ortega perfectly blends Wednesday's dry sense of humor and sociopathic tendencies, while still giving us a character to root for (even if she is a murderous teen). With Ricci also appearing, but this time as a teacher, it seems she has passed the torch to Ortega to continue the legacy of what we know and love about Wednesday Addams.
Every episode of Wednesday is now streaming on Netflix.