Catherine Zeta-Jones was cast as Morticia in Netflix’s Addams Family adaptation helmed by Tim Burton. The series, aptly titled Wednesday, is set to focus on the oldest daughter, memorably played by Christina Ricci in Barry Sonnenfeld’s The Addams Family. Jenna Ortega will play the titular role in this version, with Luis Guzmán set to portray the patriarch, Gomez Addams.
Even though we already have an actress stepping into the role of Morticia, that doesn’t preclude us — and some folks on Twitter — from dreaming about what our perfect casting would have looked like if she were Latina to follow in the casting footsteps of Ortega and Guzmán. Starting with:
1
Roselyn Sanchez
Is there anything Roselyn Sanchez cannot do? The actress, who plays Elena Roarke in this year’s Fantasy Island and recently played Gigi Mendoza in the short-lived ABC remake of the Spanish series Grand Hotel, is certainly versatile enough to play Morticia. She’s got a commanding presence on screen, excellent comedic timing, and she has chemistry with even inanimate objects – something that might have come in handy for a project such as this one!
2
Gina Torres
Gina Torres would absolutely kill it as the Addams family matriarch, pun intended. Torres is a master at the deadpan delivery, and she embodies Morticia’s elegance, her fierce sense of protectiveness, and her total and complete lack of concern for the opinions of anyone other than her family.
3
Eva Mendes
Mendes hasn’t acted in a while, but that doesn’t stop us from dreaming about seeing her step into Morticia’s dress – and shoes! From Once Upon A Time in Mexico to Hitch, Mendes certainly has the range to pull off a character who has to be elegant, aloof, and also fiercely protective. And even if Morticia’s choice is weaponry is almost always words, Mendes also knows how to play the part of Morticia who would use other weapons, if necessary.
4
Leonor Varela
Varela might not be as well known in the U.S. as some of the other names on this list, but her role as vampire princess Nyssa in the 2002 film Blade II is not just memorable, it’s got a very Morticia vibe to it. It’s a rare performer who can hold everyone’s attention no matter who else is on screen but who always leaves space for others to shine, and that would have made Varela the perfect addition to this adaptation.
5
Selenis Leyva
Fans might best know Leyva as Gloria in Orange Is the New Black, but she’s had a long and very diverse career. She can pull off imposing, she can do protective but in a quiet way, and she can easily slip into that say-one-more-word-and-you’ll-regret-it vibe that Morticia embodies. Not to mention Leyva is a master at emoting with her eyes, which is very much Morticia. One can’t very well go around showing emotions, after all.