Lady Gaga is ready to do the dead dance in our first look at her upcoming role in Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday series.
Entertainment Weekly broke the news in November that Gaga would appear in the second season of the hit Addams Family offshoot. It was later revealed that she would play the role of legendary Nevermore teacher Rosaline Rotwood, who crosses paths with Ortega’s Wednesday. Now, our first look at the mysterious new character has arrived.
On Monday, Netflix unveiled a glimpse of Gaga in character, dressed in an ethereal white gown with long white-blonde hair and eyebrows. She’s joined in the photo by Thing: the sentient, disembodied hand usually keeps Wednesday company.
“A vision in venom,” the official Wednesday X account captioned the photo.
Sophy Holland/Netflix
In addition to her guest role, the series will see Gaga debut her new song, “The Dead Dance.” Teasing the track in conversation with Tudum, the Grammy-winner shared that a breakup served as inspiration for the lyrics.
“It was all about the way that we sometimes feel when it’s over; how a relationship ending can kill our ability to feel hopeful about love,” she explained. “It’s got this really cool, funky beat underneath it. And that is when the song becomes not just about the relationship; it becomes about having fun with your friends when you’ve been through something tough and amazing. I can’t wait for people to listen to it.”
The singer remained tight-lipped about her role in the Tim Burton-created series, but Ortega — also a producer on the show — offered some insight, saying that in her opinion, Gaga and Wednesday are a match made in heaven (or the pits of Nevermore).
“If you’re into Wednesday, if you’re into Lady Gaga, you should be very excited to see her in Part 2 — it really works,” said Ortega. “She’s unbelievable. She’s one of the few, rare instances of someone who is so clearly doing what they’re mean
Gaga’s involvement in Wednesday dates back to the first season, after TikTok users re-popularized the pop star’s 2011 song “Bloody Mary” by editing it over the shows “Goo Goo Muck” dance sequence. Then, at the Golden Globes in January 2023, Ortega said that she wanted the singer to join season 2 of the show, and even teased the storyline she envisioned for Mother Monster. The rest is history.
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Speaking to EW earlier this year, Gaga confirmed her appearance on the show, adding that she had a great time working with Ortega.
“I don’t want to give away anything about being part of the show,” Gaga said in March. “I want to keep it extra secret — but, I love Jenna, and I really had an amazing time!”
Wednesday first arrived in 2022, following the titular character, Wednesday Addams, across her early years as a school student and a budding psychic. Season 2 debuted in August, with four episodes, and Part 2 of the season premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
