Jenna Ortega | TheThings (2024)

Jenna Ortega's Full Biography

Jenna Ortega, known by her full name, Jenna Marie Ortega, hails from the Coachella Valley, California, where she was born on September 27, 2002. Her journey into acting started at a young age, gracing Disney Channel programs such as Stuck in the Middle (2016–18). However, it was her captivating performance as the lead in Netflix's sensation Wednesday (2022–) that truly catapulted her to fame.

Jenna Ortega's Early Life

Jenna Ortega, the fourth child of Natalie López and Edward Ortega, comes from a large family with an older brother, two older sisters, and younger twin siblings.

From a tender age, she displayed a passion for acting, and thankfully, both of her parents wholeheartedly embraced and encouraged her dreams of becoming an actress. Although Jenna initially faced challenges in securing roles, she persevered with determination and resilience.

Jenna Ortega's Career

Jenna Ortega made her acting debut in 2012 with a supporting role in the brief television sitcom Rob and a guest spot on CSI: NY, a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Ortega's first major film role in a blockbuster came in 2013, when she portrayed the daughter of the American vice president in Iron Man 3.

Following that success, she was cast in a recurring role on the TV show Jane the Virgin from 2014 to 2019, playing the younger version of the title character. She also played Annie in The Purge: Anarchy that same year.

Her appearances on the popular show brought her some notoriety in Hollywood. Afterward, Ortega secured roles in movies such as The Little Rascals Save the Day (2014) and After Words (2015), and also appeared in the Netflix series Richie Rich (2015).

Following her successful audition, Ortega joined the esteemed Disney family and effortlessly slipped into the role of Harley Diaz in the beloved series, Stuck in the Middle. Harley, a vibrant character, finds herself amidst the delightful chaos of being the middle child in a bustling Latino household.

After a couple of years, Ortega made her presence felt in Saving Flora (A Great Friendship), where she took on the role of Dawn alongside actor David Arquette. Following that, fans were thrilled with the release of the second season of You, a massively popular series on Netflix in 2019. Ortega brought her talent to the show as Ellie, Delilah Alves' younger sister.

In that same year, she impressed audiences once again as Phoebe Atwell in The Babysitter: Killer Queen. And just the following year, she had the pleasure of sharing the screen with Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, Julian Lerner, and Everly Carganilla in the Netflix comedy Yes Day.

Ortega portrayed Vada in The Fallout: Life After. Vada, a high school student who struggles to cope with the emotional fallout from a school tragedy, is the subject of the movie.

Ortega's acting career changed as a result of taking on more roles in horror and suspense films like Scream 5, X, and Studio 666, which were both directed by BJ McDonnell and the Foo Fighters.

In 2022, Ortega took on the role of Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series titled Wednesday. The iconic character from The Addams Family comes to life in this horror comedy, which Tim Burton directed. It took Burton just 20 minutes to know that Ortega would be his star.

In the TV show, Wednesday's parents decide to enroll her in Nevermore Academy, a school where she can cultivate her psychic abilities. Her outstanding performance in this musical and comedic television series earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards and secured her victory as Best Actress in a horror television series at the Critics' Choice Super Awards.

Jenna Ortega's Business Ventures

Ortega is a Neutrogena brand ambassador. She was the face of the brand's "For People with Skin" ad campaign from 2021, which promoted skin health for consumers of all ages, socioeconomic classes, and ethnicities.

Ortega also wrote the book "It's All Love," which was released in the first half of 2021.

Social media is also a great way for celebrities to earn extra money, and Jenna Ortega has jumped on that train. She makes upwards of $100,000 for endorsed posts.

Jenna Ortega's Personal Life

Jenna Ortega has only ever been rumored to be dating people; there are no confirmed relationships as of 2023.

Jenna Ortega's Net Worth

Jenna Ortega has a net worth of $5 million. She has made that primarily from her acting career.

Activism

Throughout her career, Ortega has been vocal about her proud Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage and has candidly discussed the challenges she has faced as a Latina artist in securing roles.

Controversy

Jenna Ortega was called out for her diva-like behavior on the set of Wednesday. She made claims that she was the “Script Doctor” and said that they should thank her and pay her for doing the “actual writers” job.

Backlash came from every source imaginable as Ortega admitted to this and laughed about it, running the script writers into the ground. Those same writers were on strike and had been mocking her, asking when she is coming to stand on the picket line with them, her being a “writer” and all.