Jenna Ortega

Biography:

Jenna Marie Ortega, born on September 27, 2002, in Palm Desert, California, is the fourth among six children. Her father, of Mexican heritage, previously served as a sheriff and now works with a district attorney’s office, while her mother, who has both Mexican and Puerto Rican roots, is an emergency room nurse. Ortega’s maternal great-grandmother emigrated illegally from Sinaloa, Mexico, and her grandfather came from Puerto Rico. Raised in La Quinta, California, Ortega described herself as a loud and outgoing child.

From the age of six, Ortega dreamed of becoming an actor and repeatedly pleaded with her mother to let her pursue it. Her mother tried steering her toward other interests like soccer and school, and at one point, Ortega nearly gave up acting to focus on sports. Eventually, her mother bought her a book of monologues and uploaded a video of nine-year-old Ortega performing a piece. This caught the attention of a casting director, who helped her sign with an agency.

Ortega’s mom began regularly driving her to auditions in Los Angeles—sometimes a six-hour round trip, five days a week. At first, Ortega found it hard to land roles due to the limited opportunities for Latinas and societal expectations about how actors should look, which affected her confidence. She even considered dyeing her hair blonde. Initially, she auditioned only for commercials, landing 12 national spots, including several for McDonald’s.

Balancing school and acting, Ortega attended Amelia Earhart Elementary and John Glenn Middle School. She left public school in eighth grade after securing the lead in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle and moved to L.A. during the workweek, returning home on weekends.

Ortega made her on-screen debut in Rob (2012), followed by a guest role in CSI: NY. Her film debut came with a small, uncredited role in Iron Man 3 (2013), followed by a part in Insidious: Chapter 2. She played young Jane in Jane the Virgin (2014–2019), receiving critical praise for her natural performance. Ortega also appeared in The Little Rascals Save the Day, Richie Rich, and After Words—with critics offering mixed reviews of her roles.

From 2016 to 2018, Ortega starred as Harley Diaz in Stuck in the Middle, drawing from her own family dynamics for inspiration. Her performance was praised, and she earned multiple Imagen Award nominations, winning one in 2018. During this period, she also voiced Princess Isabel in Disney’s Elena of Avalor franchise.

In 2018, she took the lead in Saving Flora, aiming to transition into more serious roles after Disney. Frustrated by industry typecasting, she almost quit acting, feeling too old for child roles and too young for adult ones. She then starred as Ellie Alves in You (Season 2), which premiered in 2019. Her performance was lauded, although she didn’t return for later seasons due to scheduling issues.

Ortega continued with genre work, playing Phoebe in Netflix’s The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020) and voicing Brooklynn in Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020–2022). She published a book in 2021 titled It’s All Love, reflecting on themes of faith and love. That year, she also starred in Yes Day, portraying a teenager striving for more independence, and critics noted her strong performance.

In The Fallout (2021), Ortega portrayed a teen processing the aftermath of a school shooting. She prepared by researching real-life tragedies and engaging in activism through March for Our Lives. Critics acclaimed her emotional depth and authenticity in the role.

Ortega joined the Scream franchise in 2022 as Tara Carpenter, impressing both fans and critics. Her scream and emotional range stood out, and the film’s success cemented her status as a rising horror star. She also appeared in Studio 666 (2022), though her role was minor. In Ti West’s X (2022), she was praised for her fearless performance, and she closed the year with American Carnage, further showcasing her horror chops.

Her breakthrough came with Wednesday (2022), in which she portrayed Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series directed by Tim Burton. Initially hesitant, Ortega accepted the role and underwent a major physical and psychological transformation. She learned cello, German, studied source material, and even rewrote lines to stay true to the character. Despite creative challenges during filming, her performance received universal acclaim and award nominations, including a Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy, making her the second-youngest nominee in her category.

Ortega hosted Saturday Night Live in 2023 and reprised her Scream role in Scream VI, where she added more depth to Tara. The film was a box-office success, partly due to Ortega’s star power. However, she left the franchise in November 2023, reportedly due to disagreements over cast changes and conflicting schedules.

She then played Mabel in Finestkind (2023), though critics felt she was miscast. In 2024, she starred in Miller’s Girl, portraying Cairo Sweet, a complex teen involved in a controversial relationship with her teacher. Reviews were mixed, though her performance was generally acknowledged as compelling. She also produced and acted in Winter Spring Summer or Fall, playing a driven romantic lead.

In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), she played Astrid Deetz, Lydia’s daughter, earning praise for her performance, despite some critiques. The film grossed over $450 million globally, with Ortega credited for attracting Gen Z audiences.

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.

Looking ahead, Ortega will return as Wednesday in Season 2, this time also serving as executive producer, influencing the creative direction. She is also set to star in Klara and the Sun, directed by Taika Waititi.