'Wednesday' Fans Shocked After Discovering How Thing Was Filmed

Since Netflix announced a Wednesday Addams-focused spinoff in 2020, fans have been eagerly waiting for everyone's favorite goth teen (played by You star Jenna Ortega) to hit the small screen.

And despite debuting just a week ago, Wednesday has already broken the streamer's weekly viewing record, with more than 300 million views so far.

The hit show sees Wednesday swap the Addams mansion for Nevermore Academy, but fortunately, one family member is still (literally) by her side.

On November 27, Netflix shared behind-the-scenes photos of actor and magician Victor Dorobantu, who plays Thing, to Twitter. Wearing a blue-screen suit to disguise himself on camera, Dorobantu can be seen in a range of poses and positions to get that perfect shot.

Everyone's favorite disembodied hand, Thing really shone in the latest TV adaption, with fans flooding the post with comments praising Dorobantu's work.

Since being shared, the on-set snaps have received over 112,500 likes and more than 11,000 retweets.

Who Plays 'Thing' in Wednesday?

Describing himself as a "Magician, illusionist and events entertainer" on Instagram, the role of Thing is Dorobantu's small screen debut.

In a video shared on November 1, Dorobantu shares his excitement over spotting his hand on a giant billboard, while in another, he can be seen posing with showrunner Tim Burton on the red carpet.

Born in Ploiesti, Romania, 25-year-old Dorobantu described the role as "a dream come true" on social media.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega explained how Burton wanted to use physical effects for Thing, just like in the 1990s movies and the original 1960s TV show.

"It was so funny, because the Thing language was just made up on the day," the star told Screen Rant.

"Tim wanted it to be an actual actor like they did in the 90s films, so it was this magician named Victor.

"He would wear a full blue suit, and he would hide behind walls and underneath beds. Then they built this prosthetic on top of his hand so that it looked like a wrist knob, and he would walk around.

"Tim really liked his like mannerisms, and he would spend hours in hair and makeup every day just getting that hand on."

Bringing 'Thing' to Life

Wednesday premiered on Netflix on November 23. The spinoff focuses on teenage Wednesday Addams' time at Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural creatures and outcasts.

Although boarding school means leaving behind mom Morticia (played by Catherine Zeta Jones) and dad Gomez (Luis Guzmán), Thing has her back, making an appearance in all eight episodes.

In the tweet shared by Netflix, Dorobantu can be seen crouched down alongside Ortega, dressed entirely in a blue suit so he can be digitally removed in post-production.

Other behind-the-scenes shots show Dorobantu hiding behind a corner with his arm sticking out for a close-up of Thing, while another has Dorobantu riding on a cart driven by a crew member as his hand trots along the floor.

Twitter users were impressed by Dorobantu's work on the show, particularly his ability to convey so much personality using just his hand.

"Thing is the real MVP (most valuable player)," commented user A.

"'Thing' stole the show," agreed Mel Greer.

"[I was] asking myself, 'am I really crying for a hand?'" wrote karma is my boyfriend.

While QMA commented: "I hope there's a best supporting limb category this award's season."

Newsweek has reached out to Victor Dorobantu for comment.

When Is Wednesday Season 2 Coming Out On Netflix?

A second season of Wednesday has yet to be announced, but with its high viewer numbers, it's a safe bet that Wednesday, Thing and the rest of the Addams' family will be making another appearance.

The finale of Season 1 left the door open for a second run, and co-showrunner Miles Millar told TVLine he'd like to explore the mother-daughter relationship between Wednesday and Morticia in more depth.

"We felt like we just touched the surface with those characters and the actors are so amazing in those roles," he said.

"Catherine is, I think, an iconic Morticia. The relationship between Wednesday and Morticia is also essential to the show, and the idea that Wednesday is trying to forge her own path outside the family is important."