Topics: Netflix, Celebrity, Film and TV
Wednesday star Emma Myers has opened up about her childhood and why she was bullied for her ‘alternative tastes’ in school.
The smash-hit Netflix comedy series has been on everyone’s lips lately, as it details the Addams Family's only daughter Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) as she attends Nevermore Academy - an elite school for vampires, werewolves and sirens alike.
The Tim Burton-helmed show has been a roaring success since it dropped on the platform last month, being watched by more than 115 million households for a total of 752.52 million hours during the first 12 days it spent on Netflix.
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Not only that, but the spin-off was so successful that it’s cemented itself as the highest-rated Addams Family property to date.
Jenna Ortega has been heaped with praise for her portrayal of the infamous character, but snood-donning werewolf Enid Sinclair, played by Emma Myers, also quickly emerged as a fan favourite from the Netflix show, with viewers loving the character’s quirky personality and bright attire.
In the series, Enid is Wednesday’s bubbly roommate, whose upbeat personality immediately clashes with Wednesday’s more gothic demeanor.
However, in a recent interview with Teen Vogue, the actor admitted she was a bit of an outsider back in her school days and even got bullied for the ‘alternative’ interests she had.
“I was kind of an outsider because I was into things more than the normal kid would be," she told the magazine.
"And I got bullied for it."
The 20-year-old added: “Some people can't let go of the fact that people enjoy things that make them happy."
Opening up about her childhood, she admitted she resonated more with the character of Wednesday than Enid, saying: “I'm not very colorful or energetic.
“I didn't have a lot of social skills growing up.
"And being a nerd, or whatever, pushed me further out.
“I wish I had this message when I was younger, 'like what you like and don't really care about other people'."
Emma explained that growing up she was always into fandoms, and it all started with The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, before moving into emo bands in middle school.
In spite of the bullying, Emma said the fandoms she became a part of were her ‘lifeline as a teenager’ and she considers herself, just like her character Enid, to be an optimist - something she drew from years of reading fantasy novels where the hero comes out on top.
As for her casting in Wednesday, Emma admitted it was an easy sell: “It wasn't something that had to convince me to be a part of it," she said.
"It was me trying to convince everybody else to please let me be a part of it.
“I answered the phone and my rep was like, 'Hold on, my phone's having some sort of issue, so I'll call you back in a second.' So she calls me back, and she's like, 'Do you think you'll have this problem when you're in Romania?' And it completely flew over my head.
"I remember it washing over me, and I ran out of my room and screamed, 'Mom I booked it!'"
Wednesday is streaming on Netflix now.
