“Wednesday”: why are Merlina and Adams Latino? It all started in the 60s series

Even without characterizing their characters, the “Wednesday” actors who represent the Addams family are of obvious Latino descent, but that’s not exclusive to the Netflix series.

In earlier versions of the screen, such as in the animated film with Oscar Isaac or in the cast of “The Addams Family” (1991) with Christina Ricci as Merlina, the Gothic family also has Latin blood.

Even their Spanish origins can be traced back to the dark 1960s sitcom, which marked the first time the oddball family had been adapted for television since the comics created by Charles Adams.

• Christina Ricci stars in 10 Things to Do Before We Break Up, which you can watch for free on ViX.

Jenna Ortega asserts that Merlina has always been Latina

In a video shared by Netflix on August 24, 2022 about the character Wednesday, Jenna Ortega commented that the series not only gave her the opportunity to represent her community as a Latina actress, but also with the character’s roots.

In the Netflix series, the members of the Addams Family are mainly Latino with Luis Guzmán as father Gomez (Homero), Isaac Ordonez as little Pugsley (Pericles) and Jenna Ortega as Merlina (Wednesday).

The only one who doesn’t have Latin roots is Morticia Frump, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, but this actress has a long career playing Hispanic characters.

“Wednesday”: why are Merlina and the Addams family Latinos?

In “Wednesday” the characters show that they are of Spanish descent by saying a few words in Spanish and even celebrating the Day of the Dead.

Although this is the first time that the majority of the family is played by Latinos, it was not always this way because at the time of its creation and in its first appearances they did not have a defined nationality.

The Addams Family began as a series of cartoons in the pages of “The New Yorker” newspaper in 1938 created by Charles Addams, but the characters were not of Latin origin, they did not even have a proper name.

In the 1964 TV series, each member of the Addams had to be named, and actor John Astin was tasked with naming the father of the family.

The creator, Charles Addams, had suggested the Italian name Repelli (a pun on the word “repellent”), but John Astin preferred Gomez’s name, the Ocala Star-Banner reported in 1965.

Gomez, who was known in Spanish as Homer, has remained the character’s official name ever since, and his persona as a romantic and passionate Latino cemented the Addams family’s Spanish roots.

Later, in the 90s with the film “The Addams Family” Gomez would be played by a Latin actor, with the Puerto Rican Raul Julia responsible for the life of the patriarchal figure.

By 2022 in Tim Burton’s version, not only is the Addams father Latino, but Merlina and her brother Pericles show the family’s cultural roots.