Jenna Ortega is an American actress that is best known for her role as Wednesday Addams in Tim Burton’s latest adaption of Wednesday. She has also appeared as Ellie Alves in the second season of the Netflix drama You. Here are ten things about her that you may not know.
1. Jenna Ortega Has Five Siblings
She grew up in a large family and is the fourth child in a family of six. Her mother is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and her father is Mexican. Growing up as a middle child herself in a large family gave her inspiration for her character in Stuck In The Middle, where she plays the middle child in a family of seven. Like all families, they do have their arguments at times but they can always rely on the fact that they will always be there for each other. She grew up in Coachella Valley in California and this is where her family still lives today.
2. She Became Interested In Acting When She Was Six Years Old
She first started to express interest in acting when she was just six years old. Her family was very supportive of her and her mother even helped her find an agent. That’s how she began to audition for roles at the young age of eight. A few years later she began to start winning small parts in TV shows and films. Some of her first TV roles were on well-established shows such as CSI: NY and Days Of Our Lives. Fast forward a few years, she’s now a successful Hollywood actress with a hit show on Netflix.
3. Iron Man 3 Was Jenna Ortega’s Film Debut
Another interesting fact about Jenna Ortega is that she got her first movie role when she was eleven, playing the Vice President’s daughter in Iron Man 3. Even though it was only a small role, it introduced her to the exciting world of movies. She also got to meet other more seasoned actors and learn from them. After her role in Iron Man 3, she went on to star in Insidious Chapter 2. She then decided to take a break from movies for a while as her TV career really started to take off. That turned out to be a good call, given the recent global success of her show Wednesday.
4. She Was Disney’s First Latina Princess
Credit: Wednesday
She voices the part of Princess Isabel in Elena of Avalor, making her the first Latina Disney princess. This was a proud moment for her because she has always been very proud of where she came from. The character of Isabel is also something of an inventor, just like her character in Stuck In The Middle. She is proud to be involved with both of these characters because she feels it gives a positive message to girls that are interested in STEM subjects.
5. Her Favorite Disney Film Is The Lion King
Her favorite Disney film is the animated version of The Lion King, which she revealed in a post on the Disney Channel’s Instagram account. The post was created before the release of the live-action film, so fans are left to wonder which one she prefers. Stuck In The Middle is her best-known Disney role, and although this is a TV role, she would not rule out being part of a film herself at some point in the future.
6. She Is Outspoken Against Anti-Immigration Feeling
Her great-grandmother was an undocumented Mexican immigrant, and so she has experience of how immigrants are discriminated against in her own family. She told Teen Vogue that she believes it is important to stay true to your culture. Ortega also believes that the fact there are so many people of different ethnicities living in the United States is something to be celebrated. She also supports Pride Over Prejudice, an organization that supports members of the LGBTQ community.
7. Jenna Ortega Published Her First Book Called “It’s All Love” in 2021
Jenna Ortega is not just a talented actress, but she’s also a book author. Back in 2021, Ortega published her first book, called “It’s All Love: Reflections for Your Heart & Soul.” The book sums up her experience as a Latina actress in Hollywood. She shares her raw and empowering stories about depression, the loss of family members, experiences with love, and making a name for herself. The book is a vulnerable representation of what it feels like to be a child actress and a Latina in Hollywood. It also gives us a glimpse of Ortega’s quirky personality and unbreakable spirit.
8. She’s Friends With Olivia Rodrigo
Another interesting thing about the Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is that she’s friends with Olivia Rodrigo in real life. As a matter of fact, she’s been friends with Olivia Rodrigo since their time on the Disney channel. Both of them were stars of a Disney hit show and even shared screen on Bizaardvark when Ortega guest-starred as Rodrigo’s childhood friend. By the looks of their social media, they spend a lot of time together.
Credit: @j14magazine
9. She Would Like To Work As A Director In The Future
One of her ambitions in the future is to get involved behind the camera. She would like to learn more about the production side of TV shows and movies, and she is also interested in directing. This is something that she is likely to pursue when she is much older, as she is likely to carry on acting for the next few years. If she does decide to go into directing, then the experience she has gained from her many years of acting will stand her in good stead.
10. One Of Her Favorite Shows Is Stranger Things
She told Talk Nerdy With Us that one of the main things she gets nerdy about is the TV show Stranger Things. She likes to keep up to date with the latest fan theories about the show and share her own thoughts. She and some of her Stuck In The Middle cast mates have dressed as characters from Stranger Things for Halloween in the past, and she shared these photographs with her fans on Instagram.
