Fans of the Netflix hit show Wednesday were treated to a Q&A with cast members Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley) and Evie Templeton (Agnes) at the panel “Family & Friends at Nevermore: Wednesday Cast” on Friday at 11:30AM in Hyatt Centennial II–IV. Moderator Carol Malcolm began the hour with a few questions before pivoting to those posed by the audience. The two young actors seemed refreshingly enthused and truly delighted to answer them all.
If they could be any other character on the show or have their power, Templeton would choose to be a werewolf, like Enid. Ordonez thinks it would be cool to be a vampire, but he thinks having psychic visions would also be fun. He doesn’t like being the target of zombie vomit, though, particularly when the substance used on set is a nasty, chunky fluid that might be pea soup. Templeton had difficulties of her own, like performing when CGI would be used to fill things in later. It’s a tricky, complicated acting process, since it requires imagining something that isn’t there yet.
A memorable moment for Templeton was when she was performing the dance scene. She’d practiced a lot, but during filming, she ended on the wrong leg and had to switch to the correct one. The mistake stayed in the final edit because it showed that her character had just learned the dance. She also recounted a difficult but enjoyable scene for her where Agnes shows her vulnerability. A tough scene for Ordonez? The zombie vomit again, he joked.
Ordonez particularly enjoyed the fight in the tower and the bonfire scene. He’s a night owl, so he loves working late. Templeton liked having to play around with vocal tonality while portraying Agnes’s disembodied voice.
Both were happy to spend time with such an amazing cast. When the first season began, Ordonez was told he’d only be in the first and fifth episodes. Later, he learned he would be in all eight. They would get scripts as they were being written, which was a challenge because they didn’t know what was going to happen to their characters or how they were going to develop. Templeton didn’t know Agnes’s backstory for some time, but once revealed, it explained why she felt like an outcast. Even among outcasts, Agnes doesn’t think she fits in. Pugsley, on the other hand, idolizes his dad and wants to be like him. Ordonez feels the same way about his own dad.
Templeton is looking forward to finding out how Agnes’s relationship with Wednesday and Enid will develop. They’re a year older than Agnes, though, so Templeton wonders if Agnes will make some friends her own age. Ordonez thinks it would be funny if Wednesday has to go to Pugsley for help and needs him as a brother, “not just as a tool.”
Both actors were impressed with the props on set—the crystal bowl, Wednesday’s room with the glass window, the science lab, the books where each page is filled with print, the fake bombs to throw into the lake. Some props weren’t quite so exquisite. The handcuffs were so loose that Templeton had to hold onto the chain so they wouldn’t slide off while she was pretending to struggle against them. And then there were the balloons, rubbed furiously against her head to make her hair stand up.
Clearly, these two young actors had a blast on set. They’re surprised by how popular Wednesday has become, but the idea of feeling like an outcast is one that resonates deeply with their fans. We hope Ordonez and Templeton feel welcome here and have a great time at their first Dragon Con.
