Jenna Ortega

Who Is Jenna Ortega?

Jenna Marie Ortega is an American actress who has taken Hollywood by storm. She was born on September 27, 2002, in Rancho Mirage, California.

She started her career as a child star. However, she has grown into one of the most influential young performers in the world. Today, she is widely recognized as “Gen Z’s scream queen.”

Her breakthrough came with the Netflix series Wednesday in 2022. The show became the most-watched English-language series in Netflix history at the time of its debut. Furthermore, she received nominations at the Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her performance.

She was featured on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Power 100 list in 2023. She also landed on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2024. Beyond acting, she is now an executive producer, activist, and style icon — redefining what it means to be a young woman in Hollywood.

Early Life: California Roots and a Dream Since Age Six

Born in the Coachella Valley

Jenna was born in Rancho Mirage, California, and grew up in nearby La Quinta. She is the fourth among six children in her family. Her father, Edward Ortega, is of Mexican descent and is a former sheriff who now works at a California district attorney’s office. Ortega’s mother, Natalie Ortega, is an emergency room nurse of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent.

Her maternal great-grandmother emigrated from Sinaloa, Mexico. Her grandfather came from Puerto Rico. Therefore, her deeply multicultural roots have shaped both her identity and her advocacy work throughout her career.

A Loud, Outgoing Child With One Big Dream

Ortega described herself as a loud and outgoing child from an early age. From the age of six, she dreamed of becoming an actor. She repeatedly pleaded with her mother to let her pursue it.

Her mother tried steering her toward other interests like soccer and school. At one point, Ortega nearly gave up acting to focus on sports entirely. Everything changed, however, when her mother bought her a book of monologues and uploaded a video of nine-year-old Ortega performing a piece online.

That single video opened the door to everything that followed.

What Inspired Her to Act

Like many great performers, Ortega traces her passion back to a specific moment. She has recalled watching Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire as a child. That performance sparked something in her. “Hi. I’m Jenna Ortega, and I’m seven years old,” she once famously announced — as if introducing herself to the world she intended to conquer.

Early Career: From Child Star to Disney Darling

First Steps Into Television (2012)

Jenna Ortega began acting professionally at age nine. She got her start in commercials before making her television debut in 2012 with small roles. In just two years, she acquired more prominent roles in shows like Rake and Jane the Virgin.

Additionally, she appeared in the Marvel film Iron Man 3 (2013) — though she later revealed in 2025 that the studio “took all her lines out” and “even took her name away.” She also appeared in the horror film Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), showing an early draw to the darker side of storytelling.

Young Jane in Jane the Virgin (2014–2019)

One of her first widely recognized roles was as young Jane Gloriana Villanueva in the CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin. This role introduced her to a broad audience and established her as a dependable, emotionally nuanced performer from a very young age.

Harley Diaz in Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018)

Her true breakthrough as a child star came when she was cast as Harley Diaz in Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle. She played the lead role for three seasons.

The role earned her three Imagen Award nominations and ultimately the win for Best Young Actor — a recognition of her talent and her representation of Latina youth in mainstream media.

She also voiced Princess Isabel in Disney’s animated series Elena of Avalor (2016–2020), further cementing her place in family entertainment.

Transition to Mature Roles: The Making of a Scream Queen

Netflix Debut and Expanding Range (2019–2021)

In 2019, Jenna began a pivotal partnership with Netflix. She played Ellie Alves in the second season of the thriller series You — a complex, morally ambiguous role that announced her readiness to leave Disney behind.

She followed this with Yes Day (2021), playing the eldest daughter of Jennifer Garner’s character. Then came the role that many critics called her true cinematic breakthrough.

The Fallout (2021): A Defining Performance

In The Fallout (2021), Ortega played Vada, a high school student who survives a school shooting and deals with its emotional aftermath. Critics praised it as her first truly adult, dramatically serious performance. It proved she could carry a film on emotional depth alone.

The Scream Queen Emerges (2022)

2022 was the year that everything changed. She starred in three major genre films in a single year.

In Scream (2022), she played Tara Carpenter, a fan favourite whose ferocity in her opening scene became instantly iconic. In X (2022), director Ti West cast her as Lorraine, a member of a film crew hunted on a rural Texas farm — her highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at 94%. She also appeared in Studio 666 (2022) with the Foo Fighters.

Therefore, by the end of 2022, she had fully and irreversibly established herself as one of Hollywood’s most exciting young actors in the horror genre.

Wednesday: The Role That Made Her a Global Icon

The Most-Watched English-Language Netflix Series of Its Time

On November 23, 2022, Netflix released Wednesday — and the world changed overnight for Jenna Ortega.

She played Wednesday Addams, the deadpan, macabre daughter of the Addams Family, now navigating life at Nevermore Academy with supernatural powers and a dark mystery to solve. The show broke streaming records. It created viral social media trends. Most importantly, it introduced Jenna Ortega to a global audience who had never seen anything quite like her before.

The success of the first season ushered in Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award nominations.

Her performance received glowing reviews. RogerEbert.com called it “expertly calibrated between menacing and inquisitive.” The Guardian declared her “charisma could power a thousand hearses.”

Season 2 (2025): From Actress to Executive Producer

Jenna Ortega returned to Wednesday in a whole new capacity in 2025. Season 2 Part 1 dropped on August 6, 2025, followed by Part 2’s September 3 arrival. Netflix renewed the gothic drama for Season 3 in July 2025 — before Season 2 even premiered.

This time, she stepped behind the camera as executive producer. She became a producer, which she called a “natural progression” due to the first season’s collaborative nature, though she said her new role made her feel “more empowered to speak my mind.” Ortega was involved with writing, design, and casting, discussing scripts, overseeing prosthetics, and observing auditions and chemistry reads.

Ortega plays the titular character herself. “To have gotten the opportunity to play her once was incredible, and then to be able to slip into the costume and tone again, it’s so much fun,” she said.

Her Season 2 performance drew further critical praise and a second Golden Globe and Actor Award nomination.

Season 3: Looking Ahead

Netflix renewed Wednesday for Season 3 in July 2025, with production scheduled to begin November 30, 2025, in Ireland. Ortega has also expressed ambitions to direct episodes in the future — a natural next step for a performer who has already mastered storytelling from every other angle.

Major Films: From Beetlejuice to Blockbusters

Scream VI (2023)

Ortega reprised her role as Tara Carpenter in Scream VI (2023), further solidifying her place in the horror genre and the Scream franchise.

Miller’s Girl (2024)

Ortega played Cairo Sweet in Miller’s Girl (2024), directed by Jade Halley Bartlett, opposite Martin Freeman. The film showcased her range in a darker, more psychologically complex story.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

One of her biggest commercial successes came with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). She played Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia. The film grossed over $450 million globally, with Ortega credited for attracting Gen Z audiences.

She worked again with director Tim Burton — her collaborator on Wednesday — and thrived under his creative leadership. She has described the experience of working with Burton as one of the most freeing of her career.

Death of a Unicorn (2025) and Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)

In 2025, Ortega demonstrated fearless range with two contrasting roles. In Death of a Unicorn (2025), Ortega played the daughter of Paul Rudd’s character in a dark comedy involving a mythical creature. Though reactions were mixed, her performance was praised as emotionally resonant. She followed this with Hurry Up Tomorrow, playing a troubled young woman. Despite the film’s poor reviews, Ortega’s performance was widely appreciated for its intensity.

The Gallerist (2026)

In 2026, Ortega starred opposite Natalie Portman in The Gallerist — another high-profile project that places her firmly among Hollywood’s elite leading actresses.

Upcoming Projects

Looking further ahead, Ortega is slated to play the eponymous character in Klara and the Sun, directed by Taika Waititi. She is also set to appear in a J.J. Abrams film alongside Glen Powell, Emma Mackey, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Complete Filmography

Television

Year	Show	Role	Network
2012	Rob	Various	CBS
2012–2013	CSI: NY	Guest	CBS
2014	Days of Our Lives	Guest	NBC
2014	Rake	Guest	Fox
2014–2019	Jane the Virgin	Young Jane	CW
2015	Richie Rich	Guest	Netflix
2016–2018	Stuck in the Middle	Harley Diaz	Disney Channel
2016–2020	Elena of Avalor	Princess Isabel (voice)	Disney Channel
2019	You (Season 2)	Ellie Alves	Netflix
2020	Home Movie: The Princess Bride	Guest	Various
2020–2021	Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous	Voice role	Netflix
2022–present	Wednesday	Wednesday Addams	Netflix

Films

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2013	Iron Man 3	Minor role	Marvel/MCU
2013	Insidious: Chapter 2	Annie	Horror
2014	The Little Rascals Save the Day	Darla	Family
2015	After Words	—	Drama
2018	Saving Flora	Dawn	Family
2020	The Babysitter: Killer Queen	Phoebe	Horror/Comedy
2021	Yes Day	Katie Torres	Netflix Family
2021	The Fallout	Vada	Critically acclaimed
2022	Scream	Tara Carpenter	Horror
2022	Studio 666	—	Horror/Comedy
2022	X	Lorraine	A24 Horror (94% RT)
2022	American Carnage	—	Thriller
2023	Scream VI	Tara Carpenter	Horror
2023	Finestkind	—	Drama
2024	Miller’s Girl	Cairo Sweet	Thriller
2024	Beetlejuice Beetlejuice	Astrid Deetz	$450M+ global gross
2025	Death of a Unicorn	Ridley	A24 Dark Comedy
2025	Hurry Up Tomorrow	Anima	Thriller
2026	The Gallerist	—	With Natalie Portman

Upcoming Projects

Project	Director	Notes
Klara and the Sun	Taika Waititi	Title role
Wednesday Season 3	Tim Burton	Also Executive Producer
J.J. Abrams Untitled Film	J.J. Abrams	With Glen Powell, Emma Mackey, Samuel L. Jackson

Awards and Recognition

Year	Award	Category	Result
2017–2019	Imagen Award	Best Young Actor – TV	Won (2019)
2023	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress – Comedy/Musical Series (Wednesday)	Nominated
2023	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy	Nominated
2023	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance – Comedy Series	Nominated
2023	Critics’ Choice Super Awards	Best Actress – Horror Series	Won
2023	Hollywood Reporter Power 100	Women in Entertainment	Honored
2024	Forbes 30 Under 30	Entertainment	Listed
2024	Hollywood Reporter A-List	10 Young Movie Stars	Listed
2025	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress (Wednesday S2)	Nominated
2025	Actor Award	Outstanding Performance	Nominated

Activism and Advocacy: Using Her Platform With Purpose

Jenna Ortega has never been content to simply perform. She has consistently used her public profile to advocate for causes close to her heart.

In 2018, she wore an “I Do Care” jacket to protest First Lady Melania Trump’s immigration stance — a bold statement for a 15-year-old in the public eye. She has spoken at WE Day events and advocated for Latina representation in entertainment.

Ortega told Forbes in 2018 that young women should not be afraid to take a stand. She has lived by that principle ever since. Additionally, she has been noted for supporting various charitable causes throughout her career.

Style and Cultural Influence: Goth Glamour as Identity

Jenna Ortega has been widely noted for her goth glam personal style — an aesthetic that blends dark, dramatic fashion with genuine artistic sophistication. Her red carpet appearances consistently generate major cultural conversation.

She was one of eleven stars chosen for Vanity Fair’s 30th annual Hollywood issue in 2024. She has appeared in campaigns and editorial shoots that solidify her as a Gen Z fashion icon. Furthermore, she was the sixth most searched-for person worldwide in 2023.

In 2024, she also appeared in a Dinamita Super Bowl commercial, showing her cross-cultural commercial appeal.