Line of Duty star joins Wednesday cast for series two - as major actor 'axed' from show
Netflix have announced that the second season of hit series Wednesday is now filming, and there have been some new additions – and one omission – to the cast.
The comedy horror series from Batman and Beetlejuice director Tim Burton follows Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), the daughter of spooky Addams Family parents Gomez (Luis Guzman) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), as she navigates the perilous world of Nevermore Academy. It was a huge success for Netflix when the series launched in November 2022, and the first season also featured Game of Thrones actress Gwendoline Christie and Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the Addams Family movies of the 1990s, both playing teachers at the school.
Jenna , Catherine and Luis are all due to return for the new season along with Isaac Ordonez, who plays Wednesday’s brother Pugsley, and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo who plays Ritchie, one of the local sheriff’s deputies.
However, actor Percy Hynes White, who played Xavier, is not returning. His character was falsely accused of being the monster terrorising the students in the first season, and while Xavier was released from prison in the final episode, it has been confirmed that the character will not be back. In 2023, Percy was the subject of sexual assault allegations that he described as a “campaign of misinformation,” and according to Variety, some fans asked for him to be removed from the series.
There are some notable additions to the second season cast. Netflix has announced that I Hate Suzie star Billie Piper and acclaimed Boardwalk Empire actor Steve Buscemi are joining the show as series regulars, alongside former child star Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), The Princess Diaries’ Heather Matarazzo and Absolutely Fabulous icon Joanna Lumley.
They will be joined by Thandiwe Newton, of Line of Duty and Mission: Impossible fame, and comic acting legend Christopher Lloyd, who Addams Family fans will remember played Uncle Fester in the original movies.
“We are thrilled that the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season along with a dream cast of icons and new faces,” said series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar.
Jenna will next be seen in the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 comedy horror classic, Beetlejuice - entitled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - which is set for release in cinemas in September this year. She plays Astrid, the daughter of Winona Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz in the film that also stars Catherine O’Hara from the original iconic movie and, of course, Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice.
