In the Netflix series “Wednesday,” Wednesday Addams of the Addams family takes center stage as she’s shipped off to Nevermore Academy in Jericho, Vermont. After plunging some piranha in a pool of water polo players to get revenge for their stuffing her younger brother Pugsley into a locker, Wednesday has no choice but to transfer to the popular school for “outcasts” midway through the year. Reticent to follow in the footsteps of her parents (who also attended Nevermore), Wednesday guards her black heart and stays closed off, only opening up with the help of some friends she makes along the way.
Eight gloriously gruesome episodes of the first season of “Wednesday” are currently streaming on Netflix, with plenty of fresh faces alongside some familiar veterans. Below is our complete cast and character guide for the new series directed by Tim Burton.
Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega)
Wednesday drives the whole show, transitioning from a public high school to the enigmatic Nevermore Academy, whose most famous alum happens to be horror author Edgar Allen Poe. Wednesday does her best to conceal any and every emotion, but she is loyal to her younger brother Pugsley. Upon her transfer to Nevermore, Wednesday faces all sorts of new challenges, including a color-loving roommate (Wednesday claims she’s allergic), a mysterious student society, a self-appointed queen bee and of course a classic love triangle. Not to mention, an unknown monster haunts the woods outside Nevermore and the neighboring town of Jericho, VT, so Wednesday naturally takes it upon herself to solve the slew of murders, when she’s not adjusting to the Nevermore social scene, devoting an hour a day to writing her novel or participating in other extracurriculars like fencing and bee-keeping.
Jenna Ortega has previously appeared in “Babysitter: Killer Queen” as Phoebe, “The Fallout” as Vada Cavell, “Yes Day” as Katie Torres and “Scream” (2022) as Tara Carpenter. She has also played a minor character in Netflix’s “You.” Most recently she portrayed Lorraine in “X” (2022).
Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) appears in only a couple episodes of the show’s first season, from tearfully dropping her daughter off at Nevermore to FaceTiming her on their crystal balls. Morticia and Gomez, Wednesday’s parents, met at Nevermore Academy, where Tish dominated the social scene. Morticia subtly warns Wednesday about her psychic visions she has recently started having, giving her a special necklace to aid with them. When Wednesday’s visions get more and more gruesome, she refuses to seek advice from her mother, who also had them before her.
Zeta-Jones is known for appearances in “The Mask of Zorro” (1998) as Elena and “Chicago” (2002) as Velma. Other big roles of her career include Charlie Nicholson in “High Fidelity” (2000), Amelia Warren in “The Terminal” (2004), Isabel Lahiri in “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004), Kate in “No Reservations” (2007), Sandy in “The Rebound” (2009), Patricia Whitmore in “Rock of Ages” (2012) and TV shows like “Feud” and “Prodigal Son.”
Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán)
Gomez has no shortage of endearing nicknames for his daughter, and his love for his wife is disgusting to Wednesday most of the time. Gomez dotes on both Morticia and his daughter, taking a backseat to Morticia’s commanding presence, but he has his own dark past, in which Morticia has been implicated. He also tells Morticia not to fret as they leave Wednesday at Nevermore, releasing Thing the stitched-up, severed hand to keep an eye on their protegé.
Luis Gusmán has appeared in “Boogie Nights” (1997), “Anger Management” (2003), “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2004), “Dreamer” (2005) alongside young Dakota Fanning, “School for Scoundrels” (2006), “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” (2012) and more. TV show appearances include “Community,” “How to Make It in America,” “John from Cincinnati,” “Mind Games,” “Narcos,” “Code Black” and more. More recently he has appeared in “Shameless,” “The Resort” and as a voice in “Entergalactic.”
Thing (Victor Dorobantu)
One of the great Addams family mysteries lies in how Thing got detached from his human’s body. The haunting hand bears many a scar and seam, and he helps Wednesday accomplish tasks with an extra hand. Victor Dorobantu is a Romanian actor, hand actor and creature performer.
Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez)
Pugsley foils Wednesday as her younger, more emotional brother. Isaac Ordonez appeared in “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018) as a Charles Wallace Double.
Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie)
Principal Weems has her eye on Wednesday from the beginning of her time at Nevermore. In fact, Weems roomed with Wednesday’s mother Morticia back in the day in Ophelia Hall, when Tish had her time in the spotlight. Weems is a shape-shifter with the uncanny ability to mimic other people’s physical forms. Christie starred in “Game of Thrones” as Brienne of Tarth. More recently, she has appeared in episodes of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman.” Other projects include “The Personal History of David Copperfield” (2019) and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2019).
Dr. Valerie Kinbott (Riki Lindhome)
Dr. Kinbott sees many outcast students from Nevermore for therapy sessions, and occasionally some Jericho normies as well. Kinbott sees Wednsday as a personal pet project, since the young girl is a tough nut to crack. Kinbott encourages Wednesday to go outside her comfort zone in more ways than one, which she does by making creepy taxidermy structures.
Riki Lindhome is known for her roles of Donna Thrombey in “Knives Out,” Sadie in “The Last House on the Left,” and Hilary in “My Best Friend’s Girl” (2008). She has also appeared in TV shows like “Grace and Frankie,” “Roar” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci)
Marilyn Thornhill is Nevermore’s first ever “normie” teacher. She runs the plant conservatory greenhouse, teaching the students all about carnivorous vegetation and frightening flowers. Ms. Thornhill also serves as Ophelia Hall’s dorm mom, and she gifts Wednesday with a Black Dahlia when she first arrives. She also tells Wednesday that “the most interesting plants grow in the shade.”
Ricci, of course, played Wednesday Addams in the 1991 film “The Addams Family” and its sequel “Addams Family Values.” She made a breakthrough in the adult role of a nymphet in “The Ice Storm” (1997), and she has previously worked with Tim Burton in “Sleepy Hollow” (1990) alongside Johnny Depp. Ricci has been nominated for two Primetime Emmys for her roles of Hannah Davies guesting in “Grey’s Anatomy” and supporting actress Misty in “Yellowjackets.” She portrayed Nellie Bly in “Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story” (2019), and she also more recently appeared in “The Matrix Resurrections” (2021).
Sheriff Galpin (Jamie McShane)
Sheriff Galpin (Jamei McShane) is the Jim Hopper of Jericho, and like Hopper, he has some repression issues. He knows the mysterious murders taking place in the woods are connected to Nevermore, but until he can prove it he tells the press and the mayor that its bear attacks. The Sheriff’s son Tyler (Hunter Doohan) is a normie townie, but he gets involved with Wednesday and her Nevermore crew. Tyler’s mother and Galpin’s wife died a while ago, and Tyler visits Dr. Kinbott for therapy.
McShane is known for his role as Eric O’Bannon in the show “Bloodline,” playing Donnelly in “Gone Girl” (2014), portraying William J. Daugherty in “Argo” (2012) and playing Cameron Hayes in “Sons of Anarchy.” He also appeared in “Bosch.”
Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers)
Enid is Wednesday’s roommate, and she could not be more opposite. She loves color, in fact she goes overboard decorating their room with it before Wednesday moves in. Enid also runs a gossip blog about Nevermore and even the small town beyond, so she knows everything. Enid is a Fur, or werewolf, but she has yet to completely “wolf out.” She can only get so far as her rainbow manicured nails unsheathing into wolf claws. Enid also gushes emotionally, and Wednesday slowly warms up to her.
Emma Myers has appeared in “Girl in the Basem*nt” (2021), “A Taste of Christmas” (2020), “Dead of Night” (2020) and “The Baker and the Beauty” (2020).
Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan)
Tyler Galpin works at The Weathervane, the local coffesip in Jericho. He is a normie, but his dad is Sheriff Galpin, so he knows a lot about Nevermore and the outcasts that inhabit the institution. Tyler meets Wednesday when she visits The Weathervane and orders a quad over ice. They develop a close friendship that becomes more, and this bond rivals her tense one with Xavior Thorpe, forming a classic love triangle.
Doohan has made appearances in “Westworld,” “What/If” and “Where We Disappear. He stars in “Truth Be Told” as Teenage Warren as well as “Your Honor” as Adam Desiato.
Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White)
Xavier is Nevermore’s “resident tortured artist,” according to Enid. His father Vincent Thorpe is a celebrity seer, so Xavier knows all about psychic visions, and he tries to mansplain them to Wednesday. While Xavier doesn’t exactly have a name for his outcast category, his talent involves bringing his magical drawings to life — literally animating them. Xavier is roommates with Rowan (Calum Ross), who has it out for Wednesday in the beginning of the show.
White is known for playing Andy Strucker in “The Gifted,” Jude Traynor in “Cast No Shadow,” Harrison in “Between” and Monguno Ksaruko in “Defiance.” He also portrays Elliot Wazowski in “Pretty Hard Cases.”
Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday)
Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday), self-appointed Queen Bee, is a Scale, or siren, who used to date Xavier Thorpe. She strikes up an immediate rivalry with Wednesday upon arrival, which only strengthens after they face off in a fencing match. Bianca is fiercely competitive and protective of Xavier even though they broke up. She and Wednesday develop a gruding respect for each other as they are forced to work togehter to save Nevermore.
Sunday is known for her portrayal of Celia in “The Beta Test.” She also appeared in Channing Tatum’s “Dog” (2022) movie. She plays smaller roles like Claire in “Dear White People” and Janella in “Good Trouble.”
Eugene Ottinger (Moos Mostafa)
Eugene Ottinger is the president of the Nevermore Hummers, aka the bee-keeping club. Wednesday meets him when testing out her extracurricular options, and she grows fond of him because he reminds her of her brother Pugsley. Eugene has Wednesday’s, and later Enid’s, backs as a part of his self-ascribed Hive Code, in which “Snitches get stung,” and “Hummers stick together.” Eugene’s fascination with insects proves a valuable asset in Wednesday’s search to uncover the monster.
Mostafa has previously appeared in the TV show “The Last Bus” as Nas.
Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen)
Uncle Fester makes a guest appearance in Episode 7 to help Wednesday do some sleuthing. Fester’s talent lies in electroshock through his staticky digits. He also trained Wednesday in her combat and fighting skills. We won’t say too much more since Fester’s presence is already borderline spoilery, but let’s just say he comes in very handy when he visits Wednesday.
The actor and writer is known for “Portlandia” (2011), “Documentary Now!” and his long tenure on “Saturday Night Live.”
Ajax Petropolus (Georgie Farmer)
Ajax represents the fourth most common outcast, The Stoners. Cleverly played upon by marijuana tropes, the Stoners do signal that they smoke weed, but they are named for their snake dreadlocks, and the more appropriate name for them is gorgons — yes like Medusa. Ajax is friends with Xavier, and Enid has a crush on him.
Farmer stars in the TV show “Evermoor” as Jake Crossley, and he has also appeared in “Ready Player One,” “Doctors” and “Treadstone.” His voice was featured in “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.”
Yoko Tanaka (Naomi J Ogawa)
Yoko is a Fang, or vampire, and Enid’s other close friend before Wednesday arrives. Naomi J Ogawa has previously appeared in “Skylines” as Kate.
