Wednesday takes the deadpan daughter of the Addams Family and drops her into a boarding school mystery. After a violent incident at her last school, Wednesday Addams is sent to Nevermore Academy, the school where her parents met, which takes in "outcasts": werewolves, vampires, sirens, gorgons, psychics and others. She plans to escape within days. Instead she gets caught up in a series of killings in the nearby town of Jericho, a family feud going back centuries, and the first friendships she has ever had.
The series was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Tim Burton directing episodes and executive producing and Danny Elfman scoring. Season one arrived on Netflix in November 2022 and became one of the platform's biggest English-language shows. Season two followed in two parts in August and September 2025. This guide groups the cast into the Addams family, Nevermore's students, the staff and people of Jericho, and the villains of each season. Spoilers are kept inside warning boxes.
- Creators
- Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
- Director / EP
- Tim Burton
- Network
- Netflix
- Seasons
- Season 1 (2022), Season 2 (2025, in two parts); season 3 renewed
- Setting
- Nevermore Academy and Jericho, Vermont
- Based on
- Charles Addams's New Yorker cartoons (from 1938)
The Addams family
The Addams family started as single-panel cartoons by Charles Addams in The New Yorker, then became the 1964 TV sitcom, the 1991 and 1993 films with Christina Ricci as Wednesday, and two animated films. This version keeps the family's macabre affection for each other but tells the story through Wednesday's eyes, with her parents as a distant, embarrassing pair she's trying to get away from.
Wednesday Addams
Main character · Psychic · Amateur detective
Wednesday is cold, precise and openly contemptuous of anything cheerful, colourful or popular. She writes mystery novels about a detective named Viper De La Muerte, plays the cello, and doesn't show emotion. At Nevermore she discovers she's a psychic with violent visions, which pull her into the town's murders. Her arc is less about softening and more about learning that caring for people doesn't have to make her weak. Her stiff-armed dance at the Rave'N in season one became one of the most imitated TV moments of 2022.
- Played by
- Jenna Ortega
Morticia Addams
Wednesday's mother
Morticia is elegant, serene and fondly gothic, and she was a celebrated student at Nevermore. Wednesday's main problem with her mother is that they're more alike than either will admit, and the series uses their clashes to explore living in a parent's shadow. In season two her relationship with her own mother adds another layer.
- Played by
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
Gomez Addams
Wednesday's father
Gomez is passionately devoted to Morticia and endlessly proud of his children. His Nevermore past matters to the plot: he was once accused of a death connected to the Gates family. He's the warmest Addams, and his openness is the opposite of his daughter's guardedness.
- Played by
- Luis Guzmán
Pugsley Addams
Wednesday's younger brother
Pugsley is the family's soft-hearted youngest, a frequent target of bullies and of Wednesday's "experiments." Wednesday's revenge on the boys who bullied him gets her expelled in the first episode, a clue to how much she cares. In season two he enrols at Nevermore and discovers outcast powers of his own.
- Played by
- Isaac Ordonez
Thing
Living hand · Wednesday's reluctant sidekick
Thing is a disembodied hand who communicates in sign language and taps. Sent to spy on Wednesday, he quickly becomes her accomplice, scout and only confidant. He's played by magician Victor Dorobantu, whose body is digitally removed, and the physical performance gives him a surprising amount of personality.
- Played by
- Victor Dorobantu
Uncle Fester
Gomez's brother
Fester is bald, gleefully criminal and able to generate electricity from his hands. He turns up in season one to help Wednesday and shares some useful family history. He's the only adult she relaxes around, perhaps because he never tries to parent her.
- Played by
- Fred Armisen
Grandmama Hester Frump
Morticia's mother · Season 2
Hester Frump arrives in season two as a wealthy, imperious and very controlling grandmother. Her presence explains a lot about Morticia, and her scenes with her daughter mirror Morticia's own struggles with Wednesday.
- Played by
- Joanna Lumley
Lurch
The family's butler
The towering, silent butler appears briefly as the family's driver and protector. He's a small role, but longtime Addams fans were glad to see him.
Nevermore students
Nevermore students are sorted, informally, by type: Furs (werewolves), Fangs (vampires), Scales (sirens), Stoners (gorgons) and others. The school has a secret society, the Nightshades, and a rough canoe race called the Poe Cup. Wednesday's dorm is Ophelia Hall.
Enid Sinclair
Wednesday's roommate · Werewolf
Enid is bubbly, pink-obsessed and a dedicated gossip blogger, the opposite of Wednesday in every way. She's also a werewolf who has never transformed, which worries her pushy mother. Her stubborn friendship slowly wears down Wednesday's defences, and their bond has become the heart of the series. In season two Wednesday's visions put Enid at the centre of the danger.
- Played by
- Emma Myers
Xavier Thorpe
Artist · Season 1
Xavier is a moody student whose drawings can come to life. He was once close to Bianca and takes a strong interest in Wednesday, who in turn takes a strong interest in the monster sketches he keeps hidden in his studio. Suspicion between them drives much of season one. He doesn't appear in season two.
- Played by
- Percy Hynes White
Bianca Barclay
Siren · Queen bee
Bianca is the school's most popular student and Wednesday's first rival, especially at fencing. Sirens can compel people with their voices, and Bianca worries her friends only like her because of it. The series gradually reveals a difficult home life and makes her one of Wednesday's few equals, and eventually an ally.
- Played by
- Joy Sunday
Ajax Petropolus
Gorgon · Enid's boyfriend
Ajax is a gentle, laid-back gorgon who wears a beanie so his snakes don't turn anyone to stone. His slow-moving romance with Enid is a sweet subplot, complicated by the way her werewolf nature plays out.
- Played by
- Georgie Farmer
Eugene Ottinger
Bee whisperer · Wednesday's first recruit
Eugene runs the school's beekeeping club, the Hummers, and becomes Wednesday's earnest, eager sidekick in her investigation. What happens to him in season one shows Wednesday that her actions have consequences for others, which hits her harder than she shows.
- Played by
- Moosa Mostafa
Yoko Tanaka
Vampire · Enid's friend
Yoko is a laid-back vampire who wears sunglasses indoors and spends most of her time with Enid. She's a minor character, but she's part of the student body's comic background.
- Played by
- Naomi J. Ogawa
Rowan Laslow
Telekinetic · Season 1
Rowan is a nervous student who becomes convinced Wednesday will destroy the school, because of a prophecy drawn by his mother. His early confrontation with her sets the main mystery in motion.
- Played by
- Calum Ross
Agnes DeMille
Wednesday superfan · Season 2
Agnes is a younger student who idolises Wednesday and can turn invisible, which she uses to follow her around. Wednesday finds her both irritating and useful, and their relationship is a sharp joke about Wednesday's new fame.
- Played by
- Evie Templeton
Nevermore staff and Jericho
Larissa Weems
Principal · Season 1
Weems was Morticia's roommate and rival at school, and is now a careful shapeshifting principal who cares more about Nevermore's reputation than she'd like. Her guarded alliance with Wednesday is one of season one's best relationships.
- Played by
- Gwendoline Christie
Barry Dort
Principal · Season 2
Dort is the new principal in season two, a smooth, money-minded man more interested in donors and public relations than in the school's monsters. Wednesday distrusts him on sight.
- Played by
- Steve Buscemi
Marilyn Thornhill
Botany teacher · Ophelia Hall dorm mother
Thornhill is the only "normie" on staff, apparently kind and a little too keen to be liked by the students. Christina Ricci's casting is a deliberate nod to the 1990s films. See the villains section below for the spoiler about her.
- Played by
- Christina Ricci
Isadora Capri
Music teacher · Season 2
Capri joins Nevermore as its new music teacher in season two. Her role grows as the season goes on, and her story is best discovered on screen, so we'll leave it there.
- Played by
- Billie Piper
Dr. Valerie Kinbott
Therapist · Season 1
The court-ordered therapist Wednesday is required to see in Jericho. Wednesday treats the sessions as a battle of wits, but Kinbott slowly earns some respect.
- Played by
- Riki Lindhome
Tyler Galpin
Barista · Sheriff's son
Tyler works at the Weathervane café and is the first "normie" to show interest in Wednesday. He's friendly, a little sad and has a troubled past with Nevermore students. His story becomes much bigger than that, as the villains section explains.
- Played by
- Hunter Doohan
Sheriff Donovan Galpin
Jericho's sheriff
Galpin distrusts the Addams family because of an old case involving Gomez. He and Wednesday spar constantly, but he's an honest investigator who slowly realises she's often right.
- Played by
- Jamie McShane
Lucas Walker
Mayor's son · Season 1
Lucas leads a group of local boys who resent Nevermore's students. His run-ins with Wednesday show how deep the town's suspicion of outcasts goes.
- Played by
- Iman Marson
Villains by season
Each season is built around a mystery, so the villains are the biggest spoilers in the show. Read on only if you've finished the season in question.
Season 1
Season 2
Main cast
| Character | Actor | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Addams | Jenna Ortega | 1–2 |
| Enid Sinclair | Emma Myers | 1–2 |
| Morticia Addams | Catherine Zeta-Jones | 1–2 |
| Gomez Addams | Luis Guzmán | 1–2 |
| Pugsley Addams | Isaac Ordonez | 1–2 |
| Thing | Victor Dorobantu | 1–2 |
| Uncle Fester | Fred Armisen | 1–2 |
| Tyler Galpin | Hunter Doohan | 1–2 |
| Bianca Barclay | Joy Sunday | 1–2 |
| Ajax Petropolus | Georgie Farmer | 1–2 |
| Eugene Ottinger | Moosa Mostafa | 1–2 |
| Sheriff Donovan Galpin | Jamie McShane | 1–2 |
| Xavier Thorpe | Percy Hynes White | 1 |
| Larissa Weems | Gwendoline Christie | 1 |
| Marilyn Thornhill / Laurel Gates | Christina Ricci | 1 |
| Barry Dort | Steve Buscemi | 2 |
| Hester Frump | Joanna Lumley | 2 |
| Isadora Capri | Billie Piper | 2 |
| Agnes DeMille | Evie Templeton | 2 |
| Rosaline Rotwood | Lady Gaga | 2 |
Where to start and watch order
Watch in release order: season one (eight episodes), then season two parts one and two. You don't need to know earlier Addams Family films or shows, though fans of the 1991 and 1993 films will catch extra jokes, especially in Christina Ricci's casting. If you're watching with someone who hasn't finished, our spoiler etiquette guide is worth a look: the season one twist is one of the most-spoiled reveals on TV.
Themes
At heart, Wednesday is a coming-of-age story about someone who insists she doesn't need anyone. The mystery plot gives her a reason to work with other people, and the show's real story is how she ends up trusting a few of them, especially Enid. It treats her coldness as part of who she is rather than a flaw to be fixed, which is why she's one of the more distinctive female protagonists on TV.
The outcast-versus-normie conflict is the other big theme. Jericho's founding myth celebrates a man who burned outcasts, and the town still treats Nevermore with fear. The villains of both seasons exploit that resentment, which gives the show a clear point about how communities pass prejudice down. For how its villains compare with others, see our guide to villain types.
All Wednesday character names, A–Z
A–B
- Agnes DeMille — invisible superfan (S2)
- Ajax Petropolus — gorgon
- Barry Dort — principal (S2)
- Bianca Barclay — siren
D–G
- Donovan Galpin — sheriff
- Enid Sinclair — werewolf roommate
- Eugene Ottinger — Hummers club
- Fester — Wednesday's uncle
- Françoise Galpin — Tyler's mother (S2)
- Gomez Addams — father
- Goody Addams — ancestor
H–J
- Hester Frump — grandmother (S2)
- Isaac Night — former student (S2)
- Isadora Capri — music teacher (S2)
- Joseph Crackstone — Jericho's founder
- Judi Stonehurst — Willow Hill staff (S2)
K–P
- Laurel Gates — Thornhill's real identity
- Larissa Weems — principal (S1)
- Lucas Walker — mayor's son
- Lurch — butler
- Marilyn Thornhill — botany teacher
- Morticia Addams — mother
- Professor Orloff — Christopher Lloyd's role (S2)
- Pugsley Addams — brother
R–S
- Rosaline Rotwood — Lady Gaga's role (S2)
- Rowan Laslow — telekinetic (S1)
- Slurp — Pugsley's zombie (S2)
T–Z
- Thing — living hand
- Tyler Galpin — barista
- Valerie Kinbott — therapist (S1)
- Wednesday Addams — lead
- Xavier Thorpe — artist (S1)
- Yoko Tanaka — vampire
Frequently asked questions
Who plays Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series?
Jenna Ortega. She also plays Goody Addams, Wednesday's ancestor, in season one, and she's a producer on season two. Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1990s films, appears in the series as Marilyn Thornhill.
What kind of outcast is Enid?
A werewolf. Enid Sinclair comes from a family of werewolves but at the start of the series she has never transformed, which worries her family. She finally wolfs out in the season one finale.
Who is the Hyde in Wednesday?
Spoiler: it's Tyler Galpin, the sheriff's son and the barista Wednesday goes on a date with. He's controlled by a master, who turns out to be Marilyn Thornhill, the botany teacher, in reality Laurel Gates.
Why isn't Xavier in Wednesday season 2?
Percy Hynes White, who played Xavier Thorpe, did not return for season two. The show explains Xavier's absence briefly rather than recasting him.
What is Thing in Wednesday?
Thing is a living, disembodied hand and a loyal member of the Addams family. Gomez and Morticia send him to Nevermore to keep an eye on Wednesday. He's played by the Romanian magician Victor Dorobantu, with the rest of his body digitally removed.
Is there a Wednesday season 3?
Yes. Netflix renewed the series for a third season in 2025, ahead of season two's release. We don't list story details or new cast for it here until Netflix confirms them.
How old is Wednesday Addams in the show?
She's 16 in season one, a high school student at Nevermore Academy. The series is set over her time at the school, so she's still a teenager in season two.