When Jenna Ortega looks back at her earliest days as a child actor, she doesn’t remember making mistakes. What she remembers instead is a level of dedication that bordered on self-sacrifice, a willingness to go without basic necessities just to prove she belonged. It’s a revelation that speaks volumes about the pressures young performers face, pressures that often go unnoticed by audiences who only see the polished final product on screen. Ortega’s recent candid interview has pulled back the curtain on what it truly means to be a child in the entertainment industry, and her honesty is both refreshing and concerning.
The Wednesday star recently opened up about the extreme lengths she would go to avoid being perceived as a burden on set. When asked about rookie mistakes she made as a child actor, Ortega admitted that she couldn’t recall making many errors at all. She explained that she was so genuinely grateful and excited to be working that she maintained an unwavering professionalism that even seasoned actors might struggle to match. She said that she really had it going for her as a child because she could not think of one mistake she made. She then questioned whether that was a terrible thing to say, noting that she feels like she makes mistakes now all the time, but as a child, she was so grateful and so excited to be there that her game face was on.
What makes this admission particularly striking is the revelation that followed. Ortega confessed that she wasn’t asking for a sip of water and would go all day without eating or drinking because she wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody. It’s a confession that reveals the psychological toll of child stardom, the desperate need to prove oneself worthy of a place in a competitive industry. She acknowledged that perhaps her mistake was not actually looking after herself, a realization that likely resonates with many former child actors who sacrificed their wellbeing for their careers.
Ortega’s journey into acting began at an astonishingly young age. She landed her first role in the sitcom Rob when she was just nine years old in 2012. From there, her career trajectory continued its upward climb with appearances in major films like Insidious: Chapter 2 and Iron Man 3 in 2013. These early roles, while exciting opportunities, also marked the beginning of a pattern of intense dedication that would come to define her approach to her craft. Her first major recurring television role came in Jane the Virgin, where she played the younger version of Gina Rodriguez’s titular character from 2014 to 2019. She also starred as Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle from 2016 to 2018, a role that further cemented her status as a rising talent.
During the same interview, Ortega was asked whether she wanted to set the record straight about stereotypes surrounding child actors. Her response was remarkably honest and refreshingly devoid of defensiveness. She questioned whether it was wrong to say that a lot of the stereotypes are true, and suggested that people should do with that information what they will. This acknowledgment of the darker realities of child stardom, without attempting to sugarcoat or dismiss them, demonstrates a level of self-awareness that is rare in Hollywood.
Ortega’s path to acting was driven by a determination that began when she was only seven years old. She recalled that her parents initially laughed when she told them about her ambition, but their reaction became a motivation for her. She explained that her parents laughed at her when she told them that she wanted to do it, and then that kind of was the root of everything. The motivation. She admitted that she never really stopped because she is very stubborn, and then she never questioned it. This early defiance, born from being dismissed, fueled a career that would eventually make her one of the most recognizable young actors in the industry.
The actress also spoke about one of her earliest creative influences, fellow former child actor Dakota Fanning. As a young girl, to see a young girl with so much, it felt like wisdom, like she had lived and walked this planet many times before. Ortega shared that Fanning kind of taught her what an actor even was when she was a kid. This admiration for another child actor who managed to navigate the industry with grace and skill provided Ortega with a template for her own career, someone to look up to and emulate.
However, Ortega’s journey was not without its moments of doubt and uncertainty. She has previously revealed that she considered leaving acting during her teenage years. After finishing a children’s show, she was unsure about what would come next and faced the challenge of proving herself to new casting directors. She recalled that when she was a teenager, she had gotten off a children’s show and did not know what she was going to do. She had to prove herself and meet all these new casting directors who did not know who she was. She also mentioned that she was starting high school at the time and had discussed with her team whether it was the right moment to quit acting. It just felt like a good time to call it quits if she was going to. She was starting high school, and it was a good run sort of thing. They had talked about it for a few months with her team.
The turning point came when Ortega landed the role of Ellie Alves in Netflix’s psychological thriller You, alongside Penn Badgley. She played the teenager in the show’s second season, which aired in 2019, marking a significant move into more mature roles. This opportunity reignited her passion for acting and confirmed that she had made the right decision in persevering through her doubts. She explained that she booked that show You, and then she went on that set, and she loved it and had the best time. She thought that there was no way she could let this go. This rediscovery of her love for the craft came at exactly the right moment, propelling her toward the superstardom that would follow.
The role that would catapult Ortega to global fame came when she was cast as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday in 2021. The series became a cultural phenomenon, and its success has only grown. The show was renewed for a third season in July 2025, even before its second season premiered, a testament to the enduring popularity of both the character and Ortega’s portrayal of her. She is next set to star as an artificial best friend in Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun, an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s bestselling 2021 novel, continuing her trajectory of taking on challenging and diverse roles.
Ortega’s journey raises important questions about the price of early fame and the systems in place to protect young performers. While she managed to navigate the challenges successfully, her admission about neglecting basic needs like food and water reveals a system where young actors feel they must prove their worth by sacrificing their comfort. The stereotypes about child actors that Ortega acknowledged as true likely stem from the immense pressure placed on young performers to deliver exceptional work in often high-stakes environments. This pressure, combined with the natural desire to please those in positions of authority, can lead to the kind of self-neglect that Ortega described.
