by Gill Pringle
Reprising her voice role as Wednesday Addams in the new animated Addams Family sequel – co-starring Charlize Theron as Morticia, Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Javon Walton as Pugsley and Snoop Dogg as It – Moretz talks to FilmInk about misfits, road trips, family and fame.
You have talked in the past about how you like to be scared by your projects. No pun intended, what scared you about The Addams Family?
“What doesn’t scare me about The Addams Family? I was really excited to join this project for a multitude of reasons. I grew up on The Addams Family, so it was a wonderful opportunity to bring life to my own version of Wednesday, and I think people will really enjoy this second movie. We really get to see into the mind of Wednesday and what’s going on with her and her decision making, and also her becoming a real angsty combative little teenager with her family.”
Did you study previous Wednesdays?
“I grew up with Christina Ricci’s take on the role, so that is what I drew on the most. But the one thing I really wanted to do was not copy that. I didn’t want to focus on what she did because I wanted to breathe life into it in my own way.”
You’ve played outsiders in films like Carrie, The Equalizer, Shadow in the Cloud, even Tom & Jerry: The Movie. What draws you to playing misfits, which you do so well with Wednesday Addams?
“I think I’ve always been into the more macabre and dark and twisted things. Growing up, I always found myself interested in the darkness, just in a way of wanting to study it and live with it for a little bit. So, for me, from some of my earlier stuff like Let Me In, playing Abby who is a 200 year old vampire… And I think that Wednesday isn’t far off from Abby in a lot of ways. In a way, it’s kind of a reprise of that role.
“I’ve never been afraid of the darkness, and as a kid, I was always interested in things like The Addams Family because of that.
“It was exciting for me to be able to do this role again and to bring The Addams Family to young audiences because I think it’s important to be able to feel the darkness and have fun with it and to not fear it so much.”
How did the pandemic impact you and did it change your own attitude towards a work/life balance?
“Funnily enough, I think one of the positive things that came out of the pandemic, is that hopefully it has shown the powers that be that we can get things done without having to be on the clock the entire time. And that people can have a little bit more of a family balance, if they have the ability and the privilege of having that time and not spending the pandemic being out of a job or being involved in the very dark and sad things that have happened during the pandemic.”
You began acting aged six and now you are 24. How has it been for you to grow up in the public eye?
“I think it’s been an interesting thing to navigate, although I also think that it’s changed over the years. I think it was different for me at 18 than it was when I was 13. And I think it’s different for me now. I think I just constantly have to check in with myself about all the things that come with being in the public eye from such a young age, and just take note of the different emotions and the different pace and what I need and where I am now , and not kind of put something in front of myself and say ‘OK this is where I need to be by this age’.
“It’s been a process of self-recognition through my own emotions and navigating it and I think it’s really wonderful that I’ve been able to have this immense of a career. I’m lucky to still be as in love with it as I was when I was a kid, and to be able to have a career based off something that is intrinsic to who I am. For me, acting is a part of my blood and my DNA at this point, so I try to not push myself into a place where I have too many high expectations. I just need to fail and create and breathe, and not short-change myself in any way.”
There’s a reference to Carrie in Addams Family 2. Was that intentional? How did it make you feel?
“It made me laugh out loud and, yes, I think it was intentional on their part because Chloe who played Carrie pulling the blood move on all of the other pageant girls… I thought it was just so funny, absolutely hilarious. When I was doing it and recording, and I realised that was what they were going with, I thought it was pretty funny and brilliant. But it’s totally on par with the story and I’m not surprised at all that they pulled it off. I’m happy that you caught that!”
Addams Family 2 is in cinemas January 6, 2022
