‘Wednesday’ Fans Are Freaking Out Over How Thing’s Scenes Were Filmed With A Real Actor

You have to hand it to Netflix! The streaming platform gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of their new series “Wednesday”, and some fans were shocked to learn how one particular character was brought to life so convincingly.

Wednesday, Tim Burton’s supernatural drama series, follows the titular Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) during her time at the Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts and paranormally powerful teenager.

She is accompanied at the school by Thing — a living, disembodied hand (who is also a friend of the family) that serves as her companion, accomplice and sidekick.

While many viewers assumed that Thing was a creation of pure CGI magic, it turns out Thing is actually played by a real actor, Victor Dorobantu.

In some production stills snapped during the filming of the series, Dorobantu can be seen rocking a blue screen body suit covering everything but his hand — which had been made-up with latex to look like it had been severed, allowing the hand-actor to still move his fingers and perform as Thing.

Give a big hand to Victor Dorobantu, the incredible actor who plays Thing on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/gJdVYjjlrX

— Netflix (@netflix) November 27, 2022

“Give a big hand to Victor Dorobantu, the incredible actor who plays Thing on ‘Wednesday’,” Netflix captioned the post, which featured a number of different snapshots from different scenes.

Unsurprisingly, many fans were shocked to learn that Thing was portrayed by a real actor, and wasn’t fully fabricated with computer wizardry.

absolutely obsessed that this is how they filmed thing in wednesday on netflix pic.twitter.com/MFjdF5FK9J

— Nora Dominick (@noradominick) November 26, 2022

I’M LAUGHING CAUSE JENNA REALLY HAD THIS MAN WITH HER EVERYTIME THING WAS ON SCENE??? THIS IS AMAZING #wednesdaynetflix pic.twitter.com/aF5nDICRxR

— g🎄; WEDNESDAY SPOILERS🖤🎻 (@bazookadelbazar) November 24, 2022

I love that they didnt go full CG for this. Old techniques work, always use them. Actual reactive environment moments

Kind of unrelated, but “Hands” down, the best multi layered meta joke in the ’91 film lives rent free in my head, jus saying pic.twitter.com/y0SWxawL9g

— Dr. Sam Beckett (@DrBecket) November 28, 2022

I’m obsessed with the special effects for thing on Wednesday, the prosthetic stump is awesome, a combination of practical and VFX is so nice pic.twitter.com/BgZBzO1rU8

— cat 🧡🤍💗 (@lunalesbian) November 30, 2022

ET’s Denny Directo spoke with Dorobantu on the carpet at the premiere of Wednesday Nov. 16, and the actor opened up about the challenges of playing Thing.

“It’s a really hard process, because you have to show emotion through a simple hand that doesn’t have a voice or subtitles,” Dorobantu explained. “It’s a lot of hard work to show emotion through a hand. I know a lot of people won’t understand, but after they see the season, they will get it.”

“Wednesday” is streaming now on Netflix.

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