Jenna Ortega facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenna Ortega
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Ortega in 2024
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Jenna Marie Ortega
September 27, 2002 Palm Desert, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in exciting and sometimes spooky movies and TV shows. Many people call her "Gen Z's scream queen" because of her great performances in horror films. She has also been recognized by important magazines like The Hollywood Reporter and Forbes for her talent.
Jenna started acting when she was just nine years old. She first became known for playing a younger version of Jane in the TV series Jane the Virgin (2014–2019). Later, she starred as Harley Diaz, a clever inventor, in the Disney Channel show Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018). For this role, she even won an Imagen Award! After her Disney days, Jenna took on more grown-up projects. She played Ellie Alves in the thriller series You (2019) and appeared in the horror-comedy film The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020), both on Netflix. She also earned praise for her role as a high school student dealing with big emotions after a difficult event in the drama film The Fallout (2021).
Jenna became even more famous for her roles in popular horror films like Scream (2022), X (2022), and Scream VI (2023). She gained worldwide recognition and many awards for playing Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series Wednesday (2022–present). For this role, she was nominated for major awards like the Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. More recently, Jenna starred in the fantasy film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) and the film Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025). Besides acting, Jenna is also known for her unique "goth glam" fashion style and for supporting many good causes.
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Jenna's Early Life and How She Started Acting
Jenna Marie Ortega was born on September 27, 2002, in Palm Desert, California. She is the fourth of six children. Her father, Edward Ortega, has Mexican heritage, and her mother, Natalie Ortega, is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. Jenna grew up in La Quinta, California. She describes herself as a very energetic and outgoing child.
Jenna decided she wanted to be an actress when she was just six years old. She was inspired after watching a movie and seeing how a young child could act so powerfully. She really wanted to try acting herself. Jenna asked her mom for three years to let her pursue acting. Her mom tried to get her interested in other things like soccer, but Jenna's dream of acting stayed strong. When Jenna was nine, her mom bought her a book of monologues (short speeches). She recorded Jenna performing one and posted it online. A casting director saw the video and helped Jenna get an agent.
Jenna's mom often drove her to Los Angeles for auditions, which was a long trip. It was sometimes hard for Jenna to get roles because there weren't many parts for Latinas at the time. She even thought about changing her hair color to try and get more jobs. For her first year, Jenna mostly auditioned for TV commercials and appeared in 12 national ads, including some for McDonald's. She balanced acting in Los Angeles with going to public school back home. When she got a role in the Disney show Stuck in the Middle, she moved to Los Angeles. Jenna has shared that her early teenage years were sometimes stressful because she worried about making mistakes while working.
Jenna's Acting Journey
Starting Out: Disney and Early Roles
Jenna's first acting role was in the TV show Rob in 2012. She also appeared in an episode of CSI: NY. In 2013, she had a small part in the superhero movie Iron Man 3 and was in the horror film Insidious: Chapter 2. From 2014 to 2019, she played the younger version of the main character, Jane, in the popular TV series Jane the Virgin. Critics praised her performance, saying she was a talented child actor. She also starred in the movie The Little Rascals Save the Day (2014) and the Netflix show Richie Rich (2015).
From 2016 to 2018, Jenna became a lead star on the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle. She played Harley Diaz, a creative middle child in a big family. Jenna used her own experiences with her siblings to make the character feel real. Many people, including Common Sense Media, praised her for how well she played Harley. She won an Imagen Award in 2018 for this role. Jenna also lent her voice to Princess Isabel in the animated shows Elena and the Secret of Avalor (2016) and Elena of Avalor (2016–2020).
Moving to More Grown-Up Stories
After Stuck in the Middle ended, Jenna wanted to act in more mature projects. It was sometimes challenging because people often thought of her only for Disney roles. In 2019, she joined the Netflix thriller series You as Ellie Alves. Her performance was well-received by critics.
In 2020, Jenna co-starred in the Netflix horror film The Babysitter: Killer Queen. She also voiced Brooklynn in the animated show Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020–2022). In 2021, she released her first book, It's All Love: Reflections for Your Heart & Soul, which shares inspiring thoughts about faith and love. She also appeared in the Netflix comedy movie Yes Day (2021), playing a teenager who wants more freedom.
Jenna took on a very important role in the high-school drama film The Fallout (2021). She played a student dealing with her emotions after a difficult event. To prepare, she learned a lot about how people cope with such experiences. The film was highly praised, and Jenna's acting was called "deeply moving" and "beautifully nuanced."
Becoming a Global Star
In 2022, Jenna starred in the popular slasher film Scream, the fifth movie in the Scream series. She played Tara Carpenter and was excited to join such a well-known franchise. The directors chose her because she could handle both scary and funny parts. Scream was a big success, and Jenna won an MTV Movie Award for Most Frightened Performance.
She also appeared in the horror film X (2022), where she was praised for her fearless acting. Later that year, she starred in the comedy-horror film American Carnage.
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In May 2021, Jenna was cast as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix comedy-horror series Wednesday. She saw this as a new and exciting chapter in her career. To get ready for the role, Jenna changed her hair, learned to play the cello, and studied the original Addams Family comics. She worked hard to make Wednesday's character unique.
When Wednesday was released in 2022, critics and audiences loved Jenna's performance. The show quickly became one of Netflix's most-watched series. Jenna's portrayal earned her nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and she became one of the youngest nominees for a Primetime Emmy Award.
In March 2023, Jenna hosted an episode of the famous TV show Saturday Night Live. She also returned as Tara Carpenter in Scream VI (2023), which was another big hit. In November 2023, Jenna decided to leave the Scream franchise.
In 2023, Jenna played Mabel in the crime thriller film Finestkind, a character looking for her own path in life. In 2024, she starred in the drama Miller's Girl, where her character, Cairo Sweet, was a talented writer whose work caught her teacher's attention. She also appeared in the romantic drama Winter Spring Summer or Fall (2024) and the music video for Sabrina Carpenter's song "Taste".
Jenna starred in director Tim Burton's fantasy film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), playing Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia Deetz. The film was very successful, and many people said Jenna helped attract younger audiences. In 2025, she starred in the dark comedy Death of a Unicorn with Paul Rudd, where they played a father and daughter facing unexpected challenges after finding a unicorn. She also featured in Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025), playing Anima, a young woman on an important journey.
Jenna reprised her role as Wednesday Addams in the second season of Wednesday, which was released in 2025. She also became a producer for the show, which meant she was involved in more decisions about the story, design, and casting. She found this experience to be a great learning opportunity. Her performance in the second season continued to receive positive reviews.
Her recent projects include Klara and the Sun, The Gallerist, and Ghostwriter, all of which are in post-production.
Other Things Jenna Does
Helping Others and Making a Difference
Jenna uses her fame to support many important causes. She has worked with campaigns that help immigrants and refugees, and she supports organizations that fight bullying. She also advocates for women's rights.
In 2016, Jenna organized an event to raise money for a young girl with cancer. At the 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards, Jenna wore a jacket with the words "I Do Care and U Should Too." This was her way of showing concern for children in difficult situations. She said that everyone should care about each other and their country. In 2019, Jenna appeared at several We Day concerts to help raise money for charity.
In 2023, Jenna joined a group called Artists4Ceasefire and signed a letter asking leaders to call for peace in conflict areas. She continued to speak out about the need for peace and helping people in difficult situations.
Working with Brands
In 2020, Jenna became a brand ambassador for the makeup company Neutrogena. In 2023, she became an ambassador for the sports company Adidas and the luxury fashion brand Dior. She was the face of Adidas Sportswear and also part of a Dior campaign. In 2025, she was announced as a global beauty ambassador for Dior. Jenna also appeared in a Doritos advertisement that aired during the Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024.
How Jenna Acts
Megan Park, who directed Jenna in The Fallout, said that Jenna knows exactly when to give her all and when to hold back in her acting. This is a rare talent for someone so young. Director Tim Burton compared Jenna's acting to silent films, saying she can show many emotions just with her eyes, without needing words. Jenna herself says she tries not to over-prepare for scenes. She believes that in real life, you never know exactly what you'll say or how you'll react next.
Jenna is known for choosing interesting and varied roles. She wants to avoid being typecast, which means being known for only one type of character. She looks for projects that will have a lasting impact on her. Jenna has said she feels very comfortable acting in horror films, describing them as "very therapeutic."
Jenna's Personal Life
Jenna prefers to keep her romantic life private. She believes that talking about it too much can distract people from her acting work. She has also said that being a celebrity can be "absolutely ridiculous" sometimes. Jenna relies on her friends and family to keep her grounded and help her deal with the challenges of her career. She feels that growing up in the entertainment industry, surrounded by adults, made her mature faster than most kids.
Jenna shared in 2025 that she has obsessive–compulsive disorder.
Key Roles and Achievements
Jenna Ortega has starred in many memorable films and television series:
- Jane the Virgin (2014–2019) – Played a younger version of the main character.
- Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018) – Lead role as Harley Diaz, winning an Imagen Award.
- You (2019) – Played Ellie Alves in the thriller series.
- The Fallout (2021) – Praised for her role as a student dealing with emotional trauma.
- Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023) – Starred as Tara Carpenter, earning an MTV Movie Award.
- Wednesday (2022–present) – Lead role as Wednesday Addams, receiving nominations for Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) – Played Astrid Deetz in the fantasy film.
Jenna has won several awards for her performances, including multiple Imagen Awards and MTV Movie & TV Awards. She has also been nominated for prestigious awards like the Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award for her work on Wednesday.
See also
In Spanish: Jenna Ortega para niños
