Ashley Friedman

Leading up to the premiere of Wednesday Season 2, I sat down with Joy Sunday, who plays Bianca Barclay, for an exclusive conversation.

After a nearly three year drought and shattering Netflix streaming records across the globe, Wednesday is back for a spooky new season with the first four episodes of season 2 premiering Wednesday, August 6th followed by the remaining 4 episodes on Wednesday, September 3rd. Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem. Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery. Creators/showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar return for the spine-tingling second season of Wednesday, alongside executive producer and director Tim Burton.

The Knockturnal:
Take me back to when this role of Bianca first came into your life, when you first heard about Wednesday, what was that like? 

Joy Sunday:
It was frantic because I did the audition not for Tim Burton but for the casting director and I had recently submitted a tape that was blurry. And so I was really intent on getting it right. It was such a fun, spicy little scene that I really put my all into it. It was a four page scene and it took like two hours to do, which is not my typical amount of time. But I really didn’t even mind that because I was like, it’s not going to happen. It’s Tim Burton. And it’s Netflix. It’s Wednesday. It’s so far out of possibility. So when it started to move forward, it was freaking me out because it was my first time really getting to hit it big as an actor. And so it meant a lot and it still means a lot. And that’s why that first season is always so special and dear to my heart.

The Knockturnal:
Your first big role being a Siren is such an interesting type of role to have to learn. Did you do a lot of reading up on the history of sirens to develop the character?

Joy Sunday:
For sure. I think going into it, I was actually quite curious to understand how a siren would function in this world. Because Sirens are from Greek mythology, there’s no modern way to really approach it. So that was the fun part of coming to understand how their powers would manifest in real life. Cults actually came up and that’s part of how the cult became a part of Bianca’s storyline. And so it actually required a lot of imagination as opposed to straight up research, especially because Tim had a new idea of how he wanted to approach it.

The Knockturnal:
What was the moment when you realized how huge of a deal the show was after season one came out? Did people start approaching you in public?

Joy Sunday:
The night that it had come out, a friend of mine had visited and we went out dancing. The room was pitch black and somebody still came up to me and was like, oh my gosh, you’re on Wednesday. That was wild. Also seeing girls cosplay and they had short hair and the suit jacket and the contacts was pretty cool. I don’t know that it’s even hit me yet, truthfully. I’m just so grateful to be doing what I love and acting in this role. 

The Knockturnal:
In season one, Bianca was a lot more hesitant to use her powers and trying to focus on relationships a lot. In season two, she’s very much taking charge of every situation and using her powers a lot more readily. What was that transition like for you with the character?

Joy Sunday:
Well, I think Bianca in season one and season two are kind of foils in that way because it wasn’t that Bianca didn’t want to use her powers in season one. It’s that she didn’t have a need to do so in a way that would benefit folks, until the end in order to get people out of the building. But in season two, she’s being coerced to use her powers in a way that in season one she was telling her mom not to. And so I really wanted to make sure that because she found herself so conflicted, that every moment that she has where she has to do that was a challenge for her. It is a very huge power and to have that ability is a responsibility. So I think it was quite weighted and it wasn’t like, oh, I’ll just get to do it now because it’s fun. She had to go through a process to do that.

The Knockturnal:
There’s a very obvious difference between the relationship with Bianca and her mom in season one and two. How did you approach moving into this protective role  of your mother? 

Joy Sunday:
In season one, I’ve gotten a taste of what was expected of my mom, and how she had to use her powers to survive. And so that shifted my understanding and my judgment of her. In season two I’m pretty much being put in the same position that she is in order to protect what I love. I’m still a kid and it’s tough to understand why my mom was like this. But there’s a I think a ton more compassion and empathy from Bianca going into season two.

The Knockturnal:
What has it been like having so many scenes with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Steve Buscemi? 

Joy Sunday:
An absolute dream. Catherine is my role model. She’s the first actress I ever wanted to be. And so it was very full circle getting to work with her. My first scene was actually with her and Steve at the same time and my teeth were chattering because Steve is such a legend. And I just was ready to go to school. Like, yeah, I’m in Nevermore, but I’m also in acting school right now. Just taking notes, just being a sponge, is such an honor to me. 

The Knockturnal:
Congratulations again on season two. I can’t wait to see how the rest unfolds!

Joy Sunday:
Thank you so much!