What's behind the appeal of hit Netflix show Wednesday?
"You go and you do these projects, and you don't know that anyone is going to see them," Ortega told the ABC.
"So, for it to have been received in such an overwhelming way is such a great gift.
Ortega (Wednesday Addams) was speaking at a fan event at Cockatoo Island over the weekend, where the stars and creators of Wednesday converged on the last stop of their "global doom tour".
The former convict gaol and shipyard located in the heart of Sydney Harbour was renamed Wednesday Island for the event with Australian artist Peach PRC taking to the stage.
Netflix said Wednesday, which premiered in 2022, quickly became a record-breaking global phenomenon, claiming the top spot on the streaming giant's list of most popular English shows of all time.
For Ortega, its appeal may lie in the way the show resonates with outcasts and people who feel misunderstood.
"Everyone feels like that," Ortega said.
"I've never met a single person [who doesn't feel that way].
"Because at the end of the day, it's you in your head. You don't have anyone else to rely on.
"You're the one making these super crucial life decisions. It's internal, and it's just you, and you have to be comfortable and okay with that.
"So, I think seeing someone who is so young, so self-assured, and so comfortable with herself — and who doesn't allow external factors or the world around her, no matter how much it may change, to affect or change her as a person — is really reassuring and comforting to see.
"You don't have to appeal to everyone."
Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin) said it's "really cool" to be part of something that touches people so much.
"I think that's what's beautiful about the show," Doohan told the ABC.
Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair) said the show encouraged people to embrace themselves and find their community.
"Everybody, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, has a bit of weirdness and darkness inside of them, and I think Wednesday just sort of celebrates expressing that," Myers said.
Gwendoline Christie (Larissa Weems) said she's only ever been interested in stories that represent the differences in our society and the world.
"I love being involved in projects that tell very personal stories that are specific and detailed, and about a side of life where perhaps there's a vulnerability," Christie said.
"People find a lot of strength in this show together.
"There's a great community and there's a great togetherness, and people are able to celebrate their similarities and differences."
The Addams family characters, created by Charles Addams, have been re-imagined for a new generation in Wednesday, which is created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville, Spider-Man 2, Shanghai Noon), who were both at the event alongside executive producer and director, Tim Burton (Batman, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands).
All three appeared at NIDA in conversation earlier on Saturday about creating the world of Wednesday.
Burton told the audience Wednesday reflected how he felt as a teenager and adult.
He said the crew approached every streamer and network to get the story out there.
Burton also spoke about directing the disembodied hand known as Thing.
"First of all, the look was important to me," Burton said.
"Because otherwise it's just a hand.
"So, that's where all the stitching comes in, where it's like he's lived a life."
He said Thing was cast in the same way actors are cast, with Victor Dorobantu landing the role.
"He's like the Dustin Hoffman of hands," Burton said to laughter from the crowd.
"It was very important not to do CG [Computer-Generated] because he's a character.
"He was there on the set, there with the actors, acting with them.
"He's equal with all the other actors in the show."
Wednesday is on Netflix with season 2, Part 2 available from September 3.
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