Jenna Ortega is an American actress who began her career at a young age, first achieving recognition by portraying young Jane in the hit series Jane the Virgin. Prior to that, she had already made her mark by appearing in TV commercials. She later gained prominence by playing the lead role in the Disney Channel’s series Stuck in the Middle.
Throughout her career, Ortega has significantly expanded her filmography, taking on key roles in popular shows and films like You, The Fallout, Scream, and Scream VI. Her portrayal of Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series Wednesday catapulted her to global fame.
Jenna Ortega has been recognized in the Forbes 2024 30 Under 30 list and will appear in the recently released sequel Beetlejuice. Fans of this talented actress may be interested in learning some fun and lesser-known facts about her. Below are eight intriguing facts about Jenna Ortega.
From being a UN ambassador to learning the cello, here are eight interesting facts about Jenna Ortega
1) Jenna Ortega voiced Disney’s first Latina princess in Elena of Avalor
Ortega made history by voicing Princess Isabel, the first Latina character in the Disney animated series Elena of Avalor, from 2016 to 2020. As a proud Latina, she advocates for diverse representation within the entertainment industry.
2) She is an ambassador for UNAIDS in memory of her grandfather
The Wednesday star serves as an ambassador for UNAIDS, an organization dedicated to providing essential services for individuals with HIV. This cause is particularly personal for her, as her grandfather passed away from the disease. During her speech at WE Day, a youth empowerment event, she stated,
“I want to help eliminate the stigma of AIDS and get people talking about it… Make it normal. Bring it up. It’s a disease that affects all of us.”
3) Jenna followed a vegan diet until filming Wednesday
Prior to filming Wednesday, the actress adhered to a vegan diet but had to adjust her eating habits to accommodate her nutritional needs while working in Romania, where vegan options were limited. In a Wired interview, she explained,
“I was vegan for a really long time, but I stopped being vegan when I went to Romania to shoot ‘Wednesday’, actually, because the food is very different there, and I don’t think I was meeting my nutrition requirements, so I started eating fish again.”
4) Jenna Ortega has a diverse skill set
Ortega is eager to learn new skills. Not only did she choreograph her viral dance scene for Wednesday, but she can also speak German, canoe, play the cello, and even sword fight! In her interview with Wired, she noted,
“I learned to play the cello for Wednesday. I started working on the cello about two months before we started shooting. I probably could not play too well now. It is something that I want to continue to pursue.”
5) She gained an agent through a Facebook video
It all began when Jenna’s mother uploaded a video of her acting to Facebook, which caught the attention of a talent agent. This pivotal moment led to Jenna’s burgeoning career in acting. During an interview on the Tamron Hall Show, she humorously recalled,
“She posted it just as a joke for her friends, because her friends on Facebook knew I was very dramatic.”
6) Dakota Fanning’s role in Man on Fire inspired her
In a 2021 interview on the Tamron Hall Show, Jenna mentioned that Dakota Fanning’s performance in the Denzel Washington film Man on Fire deeply inspired her to pursue acting, aspiring to become “the Puerto Rican version of her.”
7) Ortega has an eclectic taste in films
In an interview with the film platform Letterboxd, Jenna revealed her top four favorite films. These include the 1995 French thriller La Haine, Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 classic Barry Lyndon, the 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc, and the 1984 neo-western Paris, Texas. She expressed her desire to portray Joan of Arc, saying,
“I feel like a dream character for me would be Joan of Arc” .
8) Jenna published a book in 2021
In 2021, Jenna Ortega released a book that comprises personal stories and reflections on her journey as a Latina in Hollywood. The book delves into themes such as friendship, faith, depression, and self-confidence.
She wrote, “I love my craft, and I’m so grateful that I get to follow my passion. I let that love pour out in small ways and big ways: doing nice, thoughtful things for the people I’m working with goes a long way.”
Fans of Jenna Ortega are encouraged to explore these fascinating facts and deepen their knowledge of their favorite star.
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