Jenna Ortega is opening up about the harder side of growing up in front of the camera. In an interview published Tuesday, August 11, by Esquire, the 23-year-old "Wednesday" star revealed that as a child actor, she would frequently go entire days without eating or drinking anything on set, driven by a desire not to inconvenience anyone around her.
"I Wasn't Asking for a Sip of Water"
Reflecting on her early career, Ortega said her determination to appear easygoing and low-maintenance often came at the expense of her own basic needs. "I wasn't asking for a sip of water," she recalled. "I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody." Looking back now, she acknowledged the toll that mindset took: "Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself."
A Child Determined Not to Make Mistakes
Ortega said her eagerness to please extended well beyond meals and hydration. "I really had it going for me as a child 'cause I can't think of one mistake I made," she told Esquire, before questioning herself: "Is that a terrible thing to say? I feel like I make mistakes now all the time, but as a child, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on."
On the Stigma Surrounding Child Stars
Asked for her take on common stereotypes about former child actors, Ortega didn't shy away from a blunt response. "Is it wrong to say that a lot of them are true? And do with that what you will," she said. She went on to trace her drive back to childhood, recalling that she first told her parents she wanted to act at age seven. "My parents laughed at me when I told them that I wanted to do it, and then that was kind of the root of everything. The motivation. And I never really stopped, because I'm very stubborn. And then I never questioned it."
A Career That Started Young
Ortega began acting professionally at age nine, making her television debut in an episode of the sitcom "Rob" in 2012, followed by early roles in "Iron Man 3," "Days of Our Lives," "CSI: NY," and "Insidious: Chapter 2." She got her first major starring role at 13, headlining the Disney Channel series "Stuck in the Middle," which debuted in 2016. Other early credits include "Richie Rich," "Jane the Virgin," and "Elena of Avalor" before she went on to break out in "You," "Scream," and ultimately Netflix's "Wednesday."
Looking Ahead
Elsewhere in the wide-ranging interview, Ortega discussed her role as Wednesday Addams, admitted she was initially convinced the Netflix series would end her career, and touched on taking creative risks going forward. She's also set to appear in the upcoming Taika Waititi sci-fi adaptation "Klara and the Sun," and was recently invited to join the Motion Picture Academy as a new voting member. The wait for "Wednesday" Season 3 continues, with the show not expected to premiere until 2027. For the full interview, see Esquire.