If you’re going to be involved with The Addams Family, you’ve got to know your horror movies. Jenna Ortega, star of new Netflix series Wednesday, has revealed that one slasher movie left her rattled as a child, giving her bad dreams for years.
“I think the first scary movie I watched, or at least saw part of before I ran away in fear was Child’s Play, I wanna say,” she remembered for Elle. “My older siblings and my Tio were watching and I asked if I could watch the movie with them ‘cause I loved movies, and they said ‘no, you’re gonna be too scared’.”
That wasn’t the worst advice, since Child’s Play is pretty gruesome once it gets going. Chucky, the sentient doll, carves through victims in the classic ’80s movie like it’s going out of fashion, making it less than ideal for youngsters to try and sneak in a few scenes. Ortega did just that, and paid for it.
“They sent me to my room and I remember peeking around the corner of my hallway to watch the film and I literally only saw his hand,” she remembers. “I screamed in terror ‘cause I knew he was this murderous doll, and then every year I would have a nightmare about a hand up until I was about 15.”
Everyone has that one monster movie that left a mark, and Chucky is as good a night demon as any. Not that any of this put Ortega off making scares, since not only is she the new Wednesday Addams, but she’s also one of the lead stars of Scream 6, where she’ll face off against Ghostface for the second time next year.
So maybe Chucky did more harm than good? Check out our article on Wednesday season 2 for Ortega’s future in the role, as well as our guides to what cello song Wednesday plays and young Morticia for more of all things ooky and kooky.