Jenna Ortega Started Acting After Her Mom Uploaded A Facebook Video
Caught up with the new eerily-good Netflix series “Wednesday” lately? Then you might already have a soft-spot for actress Jenna Ortega, who plays iconic character Wednesday Addams on the show.
It’s no secret the 20-year-old actress of both Mexican and Puerto Rican descent is making waves lately. Her delightfully-creepy portrayal already made us super-fans, but her recent interviews show off her surprisingly-hilarious personality, too.
Ortega sat down with WIRED for a fun conversation where she answered Google’s most-searched questions about her.
The actress was born to play Wednesday Addams
Some interesting highlights? She’s a “really indecisive” Libra, loves walking around L.A., and she used to perform autopsies on lizards. Really. She explained: “I’m a weirdo in that I used to perform autopsies on… little lizards that I found dead in my backyard.” Jenna Ortega was definitely always meant to play an “Addams Family” character!
Later in the interview, the Coachella Valley-born celeb talks about her start at acting — and it’s fascinating.
Ortega’s acting story
She remembers wanting to start acting at just six years old, begging her mom “for years” to let her. Her parents responded, “No way in hell.”
The actress even explained to YSBnow that she “wanted to be the next Dakota Fanning” and “work with Denzel Washington.”
Ortega’s mom bought her a monologue book from Barnes & Noble to “shut her up,” meaning the begging paid off. The “Stuck In The Middle” actress performed a “dramatic” monologue for her mom, “hysterically crying.” Her mother was so confused, Ortega had to explain she was just acting.
“I told her, this is from the monologue book that you got me. This is what you told me to do.” Ortega’s mom asked her daughter to perform it again and recorded a video of it. She uploaded the video to Facebook with the caption, “My little drama queen.” Very relatable.
As fate would have it, her mom’s friend from high school was “good friends” with a casting director, and showed it to them. Ortega has now acted for more than half her life, even though she only planned to act “for a little bit.”
Ortega began her acting career at 10 years old, scoring roles in television series like “Rob,” “CSI: NY” and “Days Of Our Lives.” Her breakout role was no doubt starring in Disney’s “Stuck In The Middle,” where she played Harley Diaz (never forget!).
The actress later starred in Netflix’s stress-inducing “You,” and even played young Jane on “Jane the Virgin.”
Still, recent roles in productions like “Wednesday” and slasher movies like “Scream” show Ortega’s true, slightly-darker interests. And we’re obsessed!
