As the second half of Season 2 of Wednesday lands on our screens, Moosa Mostafa reveals what’s it like balancing international fame with being an ordinary teenager
He is a break-out star of one of Netflix’s biggest ever shows.
But as the second half of Season 2 of Wednesday lands on our screens, Moosa Mostafa, who plays the loveable Eugene on screen, reveals balancing international media attention and red carpets with exam revision takes some navigating.
“Coming back from a day on set and then sitting down and hitting your school books can be tricky; it needs some willpower,” says Moosa, who’s studying for three A levels in politics, English Literature and History and who took his GCSEs during filming.
“But I know education is important. Once you have it nobody can take it away from you. I still want to go to university but maybe not traditionally next year, at some point in the future.
“With the opportunities I’ve been given there are lots of other things to explore.”
Given Moosa’s depiction of Eugene Ottinger has made him a firm fan favourite, those ‘other things’ may well include a career in front of the camera.
Wednesday is Netflix’s darkly comedic coming-of-age adaptation of the Addams Family story and centres on Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega.
It combines macabre humour and teenage drama with mystery and detective storytelling and became a worldwide streaming hit when first launched in 2022.
READ MORE: Wednesday season 2 ending explained as Addams family secrets unveiled
The second season, which has seen the likes of Lady GaGa and Joanna Lumley join the cast, has also been greeted with critical acclaim and has catapulted its younger stars to international fame – a process which 17-year-old Moosa describes is ‘intense’.
“Although it’s not as overwhelming as I think I expected it to be. At first, with the initial season, it was crazy but I think I’ve managed to make the whole experience as positive as possible.
“To be honest, it’s just a massive honour to be part of; there’s a lot of pride that comes with being in Wednesday.”
His stardom doesn’t mean he gets out of doing jobs at the home he shares with his parents in Leamington, though.
“I still have to do stuff around the house, like tidy up” he laughs.
“On a scale of one to ten I’d say my life is a five when it comes to having changed. I still hang out with my mates, I still go to school. I still have to do chores around the house.
“It’s just every now and again I get whisked away for filming or things ramp up a bit in terms of publicity and I need to do interviews.
“Most of the time things are pretty normal, though.”
Moosa was never initially set on a life in the limelight. Encouraged by his drama teacher he bagged his first screen role at the age of 10 in the 2018 comedy Nativity Rocks!
From there he appeared in the Netflix sci-fi series The Last Bus, playing the character Nas and that eventually led to him being cast in Wednesday at the age of 13 – the youngest member on set.
“It was insane. I was filming in Romania for seven months, on set with Tim Burton. It was a really accelerated experience. I just tried to learn as I went along.”
For season 2 Moosa, who has more than 350,000 followers on Instagram, says the pressure was ramped up – not least by the fact the actor, who attends Warwick Boys School in Warwick, was revising for his GCSEs in between filming breaks.
“The first season had pressure but nobody knew how it would perform but with the second series we knew we had to produce something to match and exceed it in order to do the story and the fans justice.
“It was a bit stressful. I had to recalibrate, especially as I hadn’t done much filming for a while.”
On set, he received exam revision advice from Hollywood star Steve Buscemi, who plays Nevermore’s new principal, Barry Dot, who encouraged him to do past papers.
But exam work wasn’t the only revision Moosa had to do – he also had to re-learn his American accent.
“I was trying to talk American around my house and I thought, ‘I can’t do this’. It felt weird.”
He also admits to being self conscious about his performance.
“The initial doubt is the hardest thing to overcome. But then you find your groove. You go to work and it all clicks into place and you remember what a great job it is.”
Moosa plays Eugene as a quirky, kind-hearted soul – an outsider even within Nevermore Academy, itself a school for ‘outcasts’ like monsters, werewolves, and vampires.
His gentle, enthusiastic nature contrasts with Wednesday’s sharp wit and darker nature.
“He’s the opposite of a lot of what happens in the show. He’s a happy soul, very cheery and bright compared to the dark themes.
“I think he’s more introverted than I am but he’s a happy soul, an optimist like me.
“He’s content with who he is. In season two there’s a dryness to his humour, too which makes him a lot of fun to play.”
Moosa admits there are adjustments he has to make when flitting between his life on camera and his life in Leamington.
“There’s definitely a recalibration that I make; I have to remember where I am.”
Fortunately, he has friends at home who are adept at keeping him grounded.
“There’s not a limit on friendship by distance. So even when I’m filming I tend to talk to my friends regularly on my computer or play games with them.
“I’m still part of the social group even when I’m away and when I’m back it’s like I just slot back in. At first, it was tough adjusting but now I’ve found the balance.”
He describes filming with Jenna Ortega and the rest of the cast as ‘brilliant’.
“It honestly feels like hanging out with your friends,” he says.
“Of course, there are long days but we all get along so well that even waiting around is fun. That closeness off screen really helps the chemistry on screen.”
Wednesday’s dark gothic feel appears to have hit a chord with all things spooky now more popular than ever.
Little wonder the series has been commissioned for a third season.
“I think Wednesday really resonates with people,” says Moosa.
“Its strength lies in the fact that it embraces outcasts and people who don’t necessarily feel as if they belong.
“It also shows people they can be whoever they want to be; that’s a powerful message.
“Wednesday is light-hearted, it’s not dark in a depressing way. It brings people together. It’s about finding joy in the oddness, which I think people really connect with.”
