
Jenna Ortega may just have become a household name after runaway hit “Wednesday,” but the rising talent has been in Hollywood for over a decade, starting her career at just 10 years old.
Ortega, who also sings on top of her acting, marked her onscreen debut with a 2012 episode of “Rob.” Just one year later, she played the Vice President’s daughter in Marvel’s “Iron Man 3.” The Disney star appeared in “Little Rascal’s Save the Day,” “Know It All Nina,” “Richie Rich,” and “Stuck in the Middle” before breaking into the horror genre. A longtime scream queen, Ortega’s credits include “Insidious: Chapter 2,” “Babysitter: Killer Queen,” “You,” “X,” and, of course, “Scream” and the upcoming “Scream 6.”
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“I never really considered it because a lot of what I do is horror, and they all have these moody and nasty qualities, but what I love is that they also have a sassy teenage nature,” Ortega told Who What Wear in October 2022. “The thing about horror is that it’s become a second home to me at this point. I’ve been on enough of those sets [that] I go and I know what’s expected of me. It feels like a typical 9-to-5.”
Yet Ortega seeks out roles that are anything but “typical,” saying that it’s up to the next generation of creatives to accurately portray diverse stories, especially featuring teens.
“I really see my young generation taking more control of themselves in the industry — whether it’s learning to write sooner, direct sooner, or produce sooner,” Ortega added. “I think it’s really empowering and important because, right now, teenage voices are still being told in the majority by older white males. The more that happens, we’ll acknowledge that girls are much more than a lame stereotype.”
Keep scrolling to see all of Ortega’s past roles and check out her upcoming projects.
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