All the Facts on “Wednesday” Star Jenna Ortega
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."
ICYMI, Jenna Ortega is on the rise to superstardom. The actress stars as Wednesday Addams in the new live-action series Wednesday, now known as the most-watched series on Netflix. Her chilling, yet bewilderingly endearing, portrayal of Gomez and Morticia Addams’ sadistic daughter is spot-on and has earned her the title of Gen Z’s official Scream Queen.
But Jenna’s beginnings in the acting business started long before Wednesday. Although she’s only 20 years old, Jenna has already been gracing television screens for over a decade. And her commitment is unmatched — did you know that she actually learned to play the cello for her role as Wednesday Addams? Or that she was discovered on social media? There’s seriously *so* much to know about the actress. Here, all the fun facts about Wednesday star Jenna Ortega.
Jenna is a Libra
Jenna was born on September 27, 2002, which means she’s a Libra. This year, she turned 20 years old.
She grew up in Southern California’s Coachella Valley
Jenna grew up in the Coachella Valley in Southern California. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actress shared that she grew up with five siblings. Her mom — who was an emergency room nurse — would drive a young Jenna to auditions in Los Angeles, which took about seven hours round-trip.
She was discovered on Facebook
When Jenna was 7 years old, her mom filmed her reciting a dramatic monologue and posted it on Facebook. A casting agent immediately reached out, and the rest is history.
“It was kind of a joke. I remember at the time she didn’t want me to be an actor — it’s kind of funny how things turned out — but she just wasn’t sure about putting me in that environment or this industry that she had heard such terrible things about,” Jenna shared during a 2021 appearance on the Tamron Hall Show. “She posted it just as a joke for her friends because her friends on Facebook knew I was very dramatic.”
She went on to star in a series of commercials with brands including Old Navy and McDonald’s, until she landed her first roles in film and TV.
She’s starred in a number of television shows and movies
Although Jenna is now best known for her expert portrayal of Wednesday Addams, Jenna has appeared in many hit films and television shows. In 2012, she landed her first role on CBS’s Rob. Since then, she’s starred in Jane the Virgin as Young Jane, You as Ellie Alves, Scream as Tara Carpenter, X as Lorraine, and Yes Day as Katie Torres.
Jenna voiced Princess Isabel on Disney’s Elena of Avalor, which introduced the network’s first Latina princess
Jenna voices Princess Isabel in Elena of Avalor, a Disney animated series that ran for three seasons and introduced the first Latina Disney princess. “It’s something that I’m very grateful for. I love working on Elena of Avalor; a Latina princess was long overdue and to be able to play one is a dream come true,” Jenna told People en Español in 2016.
She learned to play cello for her role in Wednesday
When she’s not investigating murder mysteries, honing her psychic abilities, or penning her novel, Wednesday Addams can be found perched outside her dorm room, expertly playing the cello. And as it turns out, Jenna actually learned how to play the instrument for the role.
“I learned to play the cello for Wednesday,” Jenna revealed in a video interview with Wired. “I started working on the cello about two months before we started shooting. I probably couldn’t play too well now just because I’ve been away from home so much working and it is something that I want to continue to pursue.”
“I have immense respect for anybody who plays the cello,” she added. “I think it’s such a delightful instrument.”
She says she a dark sense of humor
“People have been telling me I look like [Wednesday Addams] since I was six years old,” Jenna told People in December 2022. “And I have a pretty dark sense of humor!”
One month earlier, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jenna dished about her dark and twisted humor on the Wednesday set. “Socially I can be kind of hard to communicate with at times and sometimes I would say something as a joke and I think I have a very dark sense of humor and [Christina Ricci] would go, ‘Oh, that’s dark.’”
She was covered in fake blood for her Wednesday audition
During the same interview with Wired, Jenna revealed that when she auditioned with Tim Burton for Wednesday, she had just finished shooting the horror film X and was still covered in fake blood. “I had stage blood and glycerin sweat in my hair and a massive cut on my face and had been up for over 24 hours,” she shared. “I got on the Zoom and he actually laughed. It made me laugh… I thought it was endearing.”
She’s written a book
Did you know Jenna is also an author?! In 2021, she released her first book, It’s All Love: Reflections for Your Heart and Soul. In the collection of stories, quotes, and affirmations, Jenna reflects on love, life, family, mental health, and her experiences as a young Latina in Hollywood.
It's All Love: Reflections for Your Heart & Soul
amazon.com
$10.19
amazon.comYou Might Also Like
