When Netflix announced Lady Gaga would step into the gloomy halls of Nevermore Academy for "Wednesday" Season 2 Part 2, fans braced for a spectacle. Gaga is no stranger to shape-shifting roles, but her turn as Rosaline Rotwood feels like it was carved out of the Addams universe itself.
Here’s a closer look at who Rotwood is and how Gaga is reshaping Wednesday’s dark, gothic world.
Who is Rosaline Rotwood?
Rotwood isn’t just another teacher at Nevermore. She’s a legendary, almost mythical figure whose reputation echoes through the academy like a ghost story. Draped in icy mystique, Rotwood is a scholar of forgotten lore, specializing in forbidden texts and the kind of secrets most Nevermore students aren’t even supposed to whisper about.
She’s presented as both mentor and menace. The question at the heart of Part 2 is whether Rotwood is guiding Wednesday or quietly orchestrating her downfall.
Gaga’s Gothic Transformation
The image Netflix released says it all. Gaga’s Rosaline is otherworldly. With bone-white hair cascading like frost, piercing eyes, her look is a nod to Nevermore’s eerie blend of the macabre and magical. She looks like someone who stepped out of a haunted oil painting.
Gaga leans into the role’s operatic darkness, bringing her signature theatricality.
Rotwood and Wednesday’s Clash
Wednesday Addams has never shied away from a challenge, but Rotwood pushes her in unsettling ways. Their dynamic is electric, crackling with tension. Rotwood sees potential in Wednesday’s gifts but also seems oddly fixated on her, as if she’s both rival and heir.
Expect cryptic riddles, dangerous lessons, and an almost chess-like game of wills between teacher and student. For Wednesday, who thrives on unraveling mysteries, Rotwood may prove to be her most enigmatic opponent yet.
Gaga has always blurred the line between art and performance, and Rotwood feels like an extension of that artistry. She brings a theatrical gravitas, a touch of camp, and a sense of menace that’s tailor-made for Tim Burton’s gothic playground.
Casting her ensures that Rotwood isn’t a one-note villain or mentor. She’s an enigma, the kind of character who steals every scene.
Lady Gaga is more than Rosaline Rotwood
Gaga's role is not limited to a role in the show. In August, as Netflix closed out the tour of the hit show, HOLA! was invited into a “Graveyard Gala” in celebration of "Wednesday" Season 2 Part 2 (premiered September 3, 2025), which also doubled as a stage for Lady Gaga to reveal her new single "The Dead Dance," part of the show's playlist.
The evening was headlined by the presence of Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, and Gaga herself, who surprised the attendees in a full-blown gothic queen.