Wednesday Addams has trademarked long, black pigtails just as much as Pam Anderson is synonymous with her blond, messy bun [1]. So when Netflix decided to make an Addams Family spinoff [2] with Jenna Ortega at the centre, the hair and makeup masterminds of the show knew exactly what they needed to do.
When it was time to create Ortega's look for "Wednesday" hair and makeup designer Tara McDonald [3] teamed up with the show's director Tim Burton and on-set hair and makeup artist Nirvana Jalalvand [4] to create a fresh take on the classic character. The series stayed true to Wednesday's long, thick, black braids but unlike, the original renditions of the character, the Netflix series added bangs [5] for a modern twist. But even the fringe across the actor's forehead was meticulously thought out.
Burton, who you probably recognise from "Edward Scissorhands" and "Beetlejuice," left his distinctly goth yet playful fingerprints all over the show ... down to each hair on Ortega's head. According to the New York Times [6], Burton meticulously combed Ortega's bangs before letting Jalalvand set them with hairspray.
"We added in x3 sets of wefts into each side of Jenna's head and blended them into her natural hair which we dyed darker for the show," Jalalvand captioned a time-lapse video of Ortega in the hair and makeup chair. "Eco Gel was our best friend for getting those layers tucked in as I braided."
If you're curious about wefts, they're a kind of hair extension [7] that layers hair onto a cloth strip. Unlike single-strand hair extensions, wefts are great for creating consistent length and volume throughout the entire hairstyle.
For a closer look at Wednesday Addams's meticulously crafted pigtails, keep scrolling.
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