Actress Jenna Ortega talks about not eating on set as a child
American actress Jenna Ortega said that as a child she could spend the entire shooting day without food and water, because she was afraid to interfere with the work of adults. Now the actress believes that the desire not to attract attention to herself prevented her from taking care of her own condition. This was reported on August 11 by Entertainment Weekly magazine with reference to Ortega's interview with Esquire.
Why Jenna Ortega refused food and water
The confession was made during an Esquire video interview dedicated to the main stages of the 23-year-old actress' career. Ortega was asked to recall a mistake made during the first filming.
At first, she stated that she was as collected as possible in childhood and could not name a serious mistake. However, then the actress remembered how she tried not to ask the site staff for anything at all.
"I could not eat or drink all day, anything, as long as I didn't bother anyone," she said.
Ortega explained that she was grateful for the opportunity to act and sought to maintain good relations with all participants in the production. Because of this, she perceived even a request to bring water or take a break as a potential hindrance.
Now the actress believes that her main mistake could be the lack of self-care. However, she did not accuse specific directors, producers or relatives of being deprived of food and water.
Ortega's words also do not imply that such behavior continues now. She spoke exclusively about her experience as a child, so it is incorrect to associate the confession with assumptions about her current health.
How Jenna Ortega started acting
Ortega was born on September 27, 2002 in California and became the fourth child in a family of six children. Her mother worked as an emergency room nurse, and her father was a deputy sheriff.
According to the actress, she first announced her desire to act at the age of seven. The parents initially did not take this idea seriously, but the girl continued to insist. Later, her mother posted a recording of Ortega reading a monologue. The video was noticed by an industry representative, after which she began auditioning.
The family had to regularly travel about 200 km from the Coachella Valley to Los Angeles. Ortega told Esquire that her parents invested a significant amount of time in her career, although they worked and raised the rest of the children at the same time.
One of the first television works of the actress was the sitcom "Rob". Then she appeared in the TV series "CSI: Crime Scene New York" and "Days of Our Lives". Ortega's first feature film role was as the daughter of the Vice President of the United States in the movie "Iron Man 3." She was nine years old at the time of filming.
The heroine's lines were not included in the final version of the picture, but the family arranged a real celebration for Ortega. Since the film was playing simultaneously in several halls, relatives and friends moved from one to the other to watch her brief appearance on the big screen several times.
What roles brought Ortega fame
In 2014, Ortega began playing a younger version of Gina Rodriguez's character in the TV series Jane the Virgin. Then she got the lead role in the Disney family project "The Life of Harley", which was released from 2016 to 2018.
The transition from children's projects to adult roles proved difficult. In April 2026, the actress said that after completing her work at Disney, she almost decided to leave the profession. She didn't understand if she would be able to continue her career after finishing the teen series.
The turning point was the second season of the TV series "You", in which Ortega played Ellie Alves. The role helped her move on to darker stories and an adult audience. Later, Ortega starred in the horror films "Nanny. Queen of the Damned", "Scream", "Scream 6" and "X". For her frequent appearance in horror films, she has been given the unofficial title of the modern "scream queen."
The actress gained worldwide fame for her starring role in the Netflix series "Wednesday." The first season was released in 2022. The image of Wednesday Addams, her dancing at the school ball, and the visual style of the project have become a cultural phenomenon.
What Jenna Ortega thinks about the success of "Wednesday"
Ortega admitted that she initially did not expect such a big success of the series and even feared that the role might limit her future career. Later, the actress became more actively involved in the creative decisions of the project and became one of its producers.
In 2024, she worked with director Tim Burton again in the movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The film continued the story of the 1988 comedy horror, and Ortega played the daughter of the heroine Winona Ryder. The actress is currently filming the third season of "Wednesday." According to Esquire, new episodes are expected no earlier than 2027.
Which films will Jenna Ortega appear in?
One of Ortega's next major projects will be Taika Waititi's fantasy drama "Clara and the Sun" based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. The actress played an artificial friend, a robot created to communicate with teenagers. The American premiere is scheduled for October 23, 2026.
She will also appear alongside Glen Powell, Emma Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson in J.J. Abrams' fantasy film The Great Beyond. The film is expected to be released in October 2027.
According to Ortega, she now tends to choose characters and stories with whom she feels a personal connection. After years of working in major franchises, the actress also wants to participate in original and experimental projects.
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