In a recent interview with Esquire, Jenna Ortega opened up about her experiences as a child actor, revealing the lengths she would go to ensure she remained unobtrusive on set. The young star, who has risen to fame with her role in “Wednesday,” shared that she would sometimes go entire days without asking for food or water, driven by a desire not to be “in the way of anybody.”
A Dedicated Performance
Reflecting on her early years in the industry, Ortega expressed a sense of gratitude that seemingly shielded her from making significant mistakes during that time. “I really had it going for me as a child ‘cause I can’t think of one mistake I made,” she remarked, admitting, “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.”
The Cost of Stubbornness
Her determination, however, came at a personal cost. Ortega recounted instances of neglecting her basic needs on set, stating, “I wasn’t asking for a sip of water. I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.” She later acknowledged, “Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself.”
Breaking into the Industry
Prior to taking on the titular role in “Wednesday,” Ortega gained recognition starring in the Disney Channel series “Stuck in the Middle,” which debuted in 2016 when she was just 13. Her early television credits also include popular shows like “Richie Rich,” “Jane the Virgin,” “You,” and “Elena of Avalor.”
Child Stardom and Motivation
When discussing the stigmas surrounding child actors, Ortega did not shy away from candidness: “Is it wrong to say that a lot of them are true? And do with that what you will.” She traced the spark for her acting career back to her childhood when she first expressed an interest in the profession at the age of 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,” she explained, adding that her stubbornness fueled her persistent pursuit of acting and solidified her commitment to the craft.
