Everything you should know about 'Wednesday' star Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega is an American actress who kicked off her career in acting as a child.

She has made quite a name for herself in the industry, starring in many productions and won an Imagen Award for her leading role as Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle.

As of September 2025, the 22-year-old star has won 12 awards, earning a Saturn Award and an MTV Movie & TV Award for her role in Wednesday, and a People's Choice Award for Scream VI.

Throughout her career, Jenna has starred in productions like Wednesday, You, Beetlejuice 2, Miller's Girl, The Fallout, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Hurry Up Tomorrow, Yes Day, Jane The Virgin and more.

However, here are some facts that you may not know about:

Acting since she was only 9-years-old?

At only nine years old, Jenna officially stepped into the industry with a small role in 2012 in the series The Baby Bug.

From there, she went on to build her resume starring in shows like Days of Our Lives, Iron Man 3 and Insidious: Chapter 2 and played the younger version of Jane The CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin.

Disney's first Latina princess

Beyond her acting roles, Jenna has been a powerful voice for Latina representation, most memorably by voicing Isabel in Elena of Avalor, which happens to be Disney Channel’s animated series that introduced the first Latina princess. 

Who inspires her?

Jenna Ortega was convinced acting was in her future after observing Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire. She was mesmerized by how the young star could convey such powerful emotions.

After repeatedly studying the film, being obsessed with it, Jenna initially had dreamed of being "the Puerto Rican version" of Dakota. But as time passed by, her inspiration shifted towards Denzel Washington.

However, these aren’t the only stars who inspire her. Jenna also admires Gina Rodriguez, Selena Gomez, and Zendaya as well.

Favorite hobbies

Jenna isn’t just a talented actress, but she is also skilled with words.

While talking to Byrdie, the young star candidly shared, "I love to write. I write all the time, I'll write about whatever. I'll write essays or I'll write scripts, it doesn't really matter but it's a great way to unwind."

Private person

Jenna has been vocal about valuing her privacy, especially when it comes to her personal and romance aspect of her life.

She believes that such discussion often takes away from her work and craft, and calls the idea of celebrity "absolutely ridiculous," choosing to stay connected with her close ones and family instead. 

'Stranger Things' fan

During her chat with Talk Nerdy With Us, Jenna opened up about her love for Netflix’s Sci-fi, supernatural/thriller/mystery show Stranger Things and how big of a fan she was of it.

"I follow everyone's theories about the show, and I cannot get enough of it," she stated. 

People pleaser?

Looking back in an interview with Vanity Fair, Jenna admitted that at the start of her career, she often prioritised fitting in instead of being authentic.

Although she is grateful for the opportunities she has gotten, she expressed that she often felt a lack of control. Now when she looks back, she wishes she had embraced her true self with more confidence back then.

Jenna has a close relationship with Sabrina Carpenter?

Die hard fans of Jenna and Sabrina may already know the duo have a close friendship.

Ever since their Disney days, fans have pondered about the true nature of their off screen friendship.

While the timeline of their friendship isn’t confirmed, it is assumed by many fans that it began during their Disney Channel years.

Since both the stars were working on their shows for the network around the same time period, it is likely that their paths crossed at some point.

In 2024, Sabrina also collaborated with Jenna for the first time, starring the Wednesday starrer in her music video for her hit song Taste.