When Jenna Ortega filmed that dance scene in Netflix’s Wednesday, she had no idea that it would become instantly iconic and inspire a whole TikTok trend.
But now, new information about the behind the scenes production has come to light that’s tainted our enjoyment of it, to say the least.
In an interview with NME, the star revealed she actually had Covid-19 while filming the dance in a room full of actors, extras and crew members.
“It’s crazy because it was my first day with Covid so it was awful to film,” Ortega said. “ woke up and — it’s weird, I never get sick and when I do it’s not very bad — I had the body aches. I felt like I’d been hit by a car and that a little goblin had been let loose in my throat and was scratching the walls of my oesophagus.”
She added that the production team were “giving me medicine between takes because we were waiting on the positive result”.
“I asked to redo it but we didn’t have time. I think I probably could have done it a bit better,” she added.
On social media, fans of the show have criticised the production team for potentially putting actors and crew members at risk in the midst of a global pandemic.
In response, Netflix issued a statement, saying: “Strict Covid protocols were followed, and once the positive test was confirmed production removed Jenna from the set.” HuffPost UK has also contacted Ortega's representatives for comment and will update this article if we receive a resposne.b
But it isn’t just the wider health implications that’s rubbing people up the wrong way. Some are calling this little anecdote an example of “grind culture” – the idea that our health and wellbeing should come second to our dedication to work.
“I don’t blame Jenna for working while Covid+ bc [because] as others have stated, I doubt she has the power/clout to go against Netflix/Burton,” one person said. “But I am kinda raising an eyebrow at how she’s telling this story like it’s a good anecdote of how tough/dedicated she is, and not framing it as how fucked up the situation was.”
Another added: “Social media loves to push this grind culture. It’s very toxic. Working yourself to death is not a flex.”
The whole situation takes us back to February, when the late Queen Elizabeth II was praised by some MPs for continuing to do “light work” at home after testing positive for Covid.
We said it at the time – and we’ll say it again – we need to normalise taking time off when you’re sick.
When you’re working through illness, you’re unlikely to be performing tasks to the best of your ability. You’re also not allowing your body to rest, putting you at higher risk of burnout. Oh, and there’s the fact that you risk infecting others, too.
“Taking time off allows us to recharge our bodies and minds, often increasing our ability to work to a better level afterwards,” Giulia Guerrini, lead pharmacist at digital pharmacy Medino, previously told HuffPost.
“It’s so important to make sure we’re taking real breaks so that we don’t overwork ourselves, resulting in stress.”
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that there’s more to life than work. So please, if you test positive for Covid-19 – or come down with another illness this winter – give yourself permission to stop. And if you’re an employer, make sure that’s the message you’re spreading among your team, instead of germs.
