The Hollywood Scream Queen and horror role diva Jenna Ortega has recently been seen on Wednesday’s Season 2 premiere in a gothic reptile-textured dress. She surely shed her fearless look with the latex gown on. We definitely freaked out for a second.
But did you know she has always been living an unusual life, like not attending prom and missing graduation? Quite Surprising! I know.
Want to know more? Here, I have shared quite a lot of extraordinary life facts about this rising star. If you are a Wednesday fan like me and are interested in knowing more creepy real-life stories about Jenna Ortega, be prepared mentally.
Brief Wiki
| Jenna Ortega | Bio Details |
| Real Name | Jenna Marie Ortega |
| Industry Name/ Nick Names | Jenna Ortega, ReeRee, Gen Z’s Scream Queen |
| Date of Birth | September 27, 2002 |
| Age | 22 (as of 2025) |
| Birth Place | Coachella Valley, California, U.S. |
| Current Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Gender | Female |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Christian |
| Profession | Actress, Producer |
| Net Worth | $5 million (as of 2025) |
| Status | Unmarried |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Hobbies | Writing essays, scripts, and other creative pieces |
| Schooling | Amelia Earhart Elementary School John Glenn Middle School |
Appearance & Looks
| Physique | Facts |
| Height | 1.55 m (5’1”) |
| Weight | Approximately 100lbs (46 kgs) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Shoe Size | 6 US |
| Style | Dark aesthetic & gothic-inspired outfits that offer an edgy look |
| Common Outfits | Red Carpet: Dramatic and classic gowns, tailored suits set Casual, Street Styles: Tees, Leather Jackets, Jeans, Skirts |
| Accessories | Statement pieces, bags, chunky boots, beanies, sunglasses |
| Tattoos | Has tattoos (the exact number is unknown) |
Family Info
Born in 2002, Jenna Ortega is the fourth child. She shares a big family, including five siblings. Her father is of Mexican descent and works at a district attorney’s office in California. Her mother is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and works as a nurse at the emergency room.
Jenna has five siblings: an older brother, two older sisters, and twin younger siblings. Her social media posts with siblings reflect her bond with siblings.
| Family Members/ Relatives | Details |
| Parents | Father: Edward OrtegaMother: Natalie Ortega |
| Siblings | Brother: Isaac Ortega, Markus OrtegaSister: Aliyah Ortega, Mia Ortega, Mariah Ortega |
| Spouse | Unmarried |
| Children | None |
Early Life Stories
Growing up in La Quinta, California, with her large family, Ortega conveyed her girlhood as “loud and extroverted.” Since a very young age, she had a great interest in acting. She even tried to convince her mother when she was six to let her pursue a career in acting.
Her mother endeavored to distract her persuasion with other sports and academic activities. But nothing worked. Jenna Ortega was born to rule the Hollywood horror industry with her gothic appearance.
We can say her screen appearance was in 2010 by her mother herself. She posted Jenna’s nine-year-old video clip on Facebook. The video got thousands of responses. She performed a monologue book her mother bought her as a present.
Fate & fortune!
A casting director saw the video online and signed her to an agency. Jenna’s mother drove her to Los Angeles to attend the auditions. And Jenna Ortega never had to look back ever since.
⚫ However, there were struggles and challenges that we will discuss below. So, keep on reading.
Education & Personal Interests
Jenna attended Amelia Earhart Elementary School with her siblings. After that, she attended John Glenn Middle School until she was in 8th grade, but ended up dropping out to pursue her acting career. She moved to homeschooling to complete her high school diploma.
Jenna Ortega shared her deepest regrets for missing out on traditional high school experiences, graduation ceremonies, and not attending college.
The “Scream Queen” of Hollywood has also shared in an interview that she wished to attend Harvard and study law in the future to pursue her academic goals. Clearly, her focus and commitment to acting have shaped her scholastic path.
Career Highlights
The “Wednesday” girl, Jenna Ortega, started her career at the age of nine after traveling on six road trips for five days a week to give auditions. Her on-screen appearance started with commercials as a child actress, including Colgate and McDonald’s ad campaigns.
After appearing on several commercial campaigns, she managed to get a role in “Rob“, a CBS sitcom in 2012. But she gained huge recognition after her role as the younger character in the Jane the Virgin show.
First Lead Role
Ortega’s first big-screen debut as a lead character was in 2016 with Disney Channel’s “Stuck in the Middle”. She played the role of Harley Diaz, the middle child of seven siblings who had to navigate the joys and challenges of family life.
The show became quite famous among kids, and she even got an award for her outstanding performance.
| Show Name | Years Aired | Genre | Creators | Co-Stars |
| Stuck in the Middle | 2016 to 2018 | Sit-Con | Alison Brown, Linda Videtti Figueiredo | Isaak Presley, Malachi Barton, Ariana Greenblatt, Nicolas Bechtel, Kayla Maisonet, Cerina Vincent |
Top 15 Movies
| Movie Name | Release Year | Character | Producer/Director | Co-Star |
| The Little Rascals Save the Day | 2014 | Mary Anne | Alex Zamm | Doris Roberts, Greg Germann, Lex Medlin |
| After Words | 2015 | Anna | Juan Feldman | Marcia Gay Harden, Ron Canada, Yvette Thor |
| Saving Flora | 2018 | Dawn | Mark Drury Taylor | David Arquette, Martin Martinez |
| The Babysitter: Killer Queen | 2020 | Phoebe | McG | Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving |
| Yes Day | 2021 | Katie Torres | Miguel Arteta | Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramírez |
| The Fallout | 2021 | Vada Cavell | Megan Park | Maddie Ziegler, Niles Fitch |
| Scream | 2022 | Tara Carpenter | Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett | Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette |
| Studio 666 | 2022 | Skye Willow | BJ McDonnell | Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear |
| X | 2022 | Lorraine | Ti West | Mia Goth, Brittany Snow |
| American Carnage | 2022 | Camila | Diego Hallivis | Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Allen Maldonado |
| Scream VI | 2023 | Tara Carpenter | Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett | Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera |
| Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | 2024 | Astrid | Tim Burton | Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara |
| Winter Spring Summer or Fall | 2024 | Remi | Tiffany Paulsen | Percy Hynes White, Adam Rodriguez |
| Death of a Unicorn | 2025 | Ridley | Alex Scharfman | Paul Rudd, Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan |
| Hurry Up Tomorrow | 2025 | Anima | Trey Edward Shults | The Weeknd, Barry Keoghan |
Famous TV Series
| Show Name | Years Appeared | Creators | Co-Stars |
| Rob (2012) | 2012 | Lew Morton, Rob Schneider | Rob Schneider, Cheech Marin, Claudia Bassols |
| CSI: New York (2004-2013) | 2012 | Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, Anthony E. Zuiker | Gary Sinise, Carmine Giovinazzo, Hill Harper |
| Rake (2014) | 2014 | Peter Duncan, Peter Tolan | Greg Kinnear, John Ortiz, Miranda Otto |
| Jane the Virgin (2014-2019) | 2014-2017 | Jennie Snyder Urman | Gina Rodriguez, Andrea Navedo, Yael Grobglas |
| Richie Rich (2015) | 2015 | Jeff Hodsden, Tim Pollock | Jake Brennan, Lauren Taylor, Joshua Carlon |
| Stuck in the Middle (2016-2018) | 2016-2018 | Alison Brown, Linda Videtti Figueiredo | Isaak Presley, Malachi Barton, Ariana Greenblatt, Nicolas Bechtel, Kayla Maisonet, Cerina Vincent |
| Elena of Avalor (2016- Present) | 2016-2020 | Craig Gerber | Aimee Carrero, Christian Lanz |
| Bizaardvark (2016-2019) | 2018 | Josh Lehrman, Kyle Stegina | Olivia Rodrigo, Madison Hu, DeVore Ledridge |
| You (2018- Present) | 2019 | Noora Albright | Stephen Dunford, Darcy St. Clair |
| Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020-2022) | 2020-2022 | Zack Stentz | Paul-Mikél Williams, Kausar Mohammed |
| Wednesday (2022- Present) | 2022-2025 | Alfred Gough, Miles Millar | Hunter Doohan, Emma Myers |
Career as a Producer
Jenna Ortega didn’t stop her career pursuit after becoming a successful actor. She even stepped outside the on-screen career and focused on other off-screen career activities like Producing. Her recent productions gained quite a lot of notice. Here are some of her famous production projects:
| Movie Name | Release Year | Role |
| Wednesday | 2022, 2025 | Producer |
| Hurry Up Tomorrow | 2025 | Executive Producer |
| Death of a Unicorn | 2025 | Executive Producer |
Upcoming Movies
The Hollywood horror movie diva is working hard for her upcoming movie. Her new film, The Gallerist, is expected to be released in 2026. Jenna Ortega is starring in the movie with Natalia Portman, Daniel Brühl, Charli xcx, and other renowned Hollywood actors.
The “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” director, Cathy Yan, is directing this movie, and we can expect how outstanding “The Gallerist” is going to be.
Let’s have a look at her other upcoming projects:
| Movie Name | Release Year | Role |
| The Gallerist | 2026 | Lead Role |
| Untitled J. J. Abrams | Not disclosed yet (currently filming) | Not disclosed |
Awards & Acknowledgements
| Year | Award Name | Category | Movie Name |
| 2018 | Imagen Awards | Best Young Actor – Television | Stuck in the Middle |
| 2022 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Most Frightened Performance | Scream |
| 2023 | Austin Film Critics Association Awards | The Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award | The Fallout, Scream, X, and Studio 666 |
| 2023 | Critics’ Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Horror Series | Wednesday |
| 2023 | Imagen Awards | Best Actress – Comedy (Television) | Wednesday |
| 2023 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Performance in a Show | Wednesday |
| 2023 | Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards | Favorite Female TV Star (Family) | Wednesday |
| 2024 | People’s Choice Awards | The Drama Movie Star of the Year | Scream VI |
| 2024 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series | Wednesday |
| 2025 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice |
Net Worth in 2025
As the TV series, Wednesday became a global sensation, her net worth increased by $2 million in just one year. After the global success of “Wednesday’s”, her social media followers also increased notably.
| Jenna Ortega | Details |
| Net Worth in 2025 | $5 million |
| Earning Sources | Acting in films and TV series, producing, and growing social media presence |
| Investments | No public information |
| Commercial Properties | Not disclose her personal property information to the media |
Likes and Dislikes
| Likes | Dislikes |
| Jenna Ortega loves to eat spicy foods. | Exploiting and disturbing content on social media. |
| She enjoys the adrenaline rush while making horror movies. | Verbal abuse in public places makes her feel uncomfortable. |
| Ortega plays cello quite well. | She does not like to disclose her romantic life publicly. |
| The young actress embraces her Latina heritage. | Does not like to be typecast and only plays one type of role. |
| She enjoys writing as it is her way of relaxation. |
Interesting & Lesser-Known Facts
- As we know, Jenna loves spicy foods, and her interest was developed by her sixth-grade art teacher.
- To honor her maternal grandfather, who suffered from AIDs, Jenna became a profound ambassador for UNAIDS.
- The Wednesday Star is a vocal advocate for women’s rights, the LGBTQ+ community, and immigrants.
- Ortega had a huge crush on former US President Barack Obama when she was only six years old.
- According to an interview clip of hers, she left Scream VI mid-way due to the departure issues with the director, saying it wasn’t the right move at that time in her career.
- Denzel Washington’s acting in “Man on Fire” inspired Jenna Ortega to become an actor.
Social Media Engagement
| Platforms | Username | Followers |
| Jenna Ortega | 1.3 million | |
| Jenna Ortega (@jennaortega) | 37.4 million | |
| @JennaOrtegaoffi | 1 million | |
| YouTube | N/A | N/A |
| TikTok | Jenna Ortega (@jennamarie0rtega1) | 19 million |
Career Challenges & Fluctuations
Jenna Ortega has already seen significant success at a young age. But success always demands hard work and dedication.
There are some unseen struggles and challenges behind the mind-blowing performance on screen. Here are some of her career challenges that she has recently opened up about:
➤ Early Career Setback: Ortega has spoken about her early career struggle in numerous interviews. Her mother drove him five days a week for almost a six-hour ride to Los Angeles for auditions. She has also expressed how losing a chance on a family adventure and comedy show broke her confidence.
➤ Mental Health: The fame from Wednesday’s success impacted her mental health. A report from “Times of India” shared that the star is currently struggling with OCD and how it is affecting her daily life.
➤ Fame & Pressure: As the 22-year-old actress became a popular name for her gothic and sharp charm on the screen, the intense attention caused her some pain. She opened up about the social media trolls, online harassment, and the immense pressure of becoming someone perfect is a struggle for someone introverted.
Yes, we understand you Jenna. Ups and downs come with global fame. However, we also praise her for how smoothly she is handling all the public scrutiny without making it visible in her public appearance.
Controversies and Criticisms
The young star, Jenna Ortega, has been at the center of several controversies. Though the topic was never major, they surely got public attention. Let’s take a look at them:
- Script Comments for “Wednesday”: Some rumors spread at first that Jenna changed the script for Wednesday in some spaces. Later, the actress admitted to changing the scripts sometimes as she felt that “a love triangle plotline” didn’t make sense with her character. This sparked criticisms with comments like “she is disrespectful to the show’s writing staff”.
- Buccal Fat Removal: The pale skin and super skinny appearance on the Wednesday season 2 premiere recently sparked rumors that Jenna Ortega has undergone buccal fat removal surgery. However, Ortega never publicly discussed these matters. Some are praising her dedication, and some are debating her unrealistic beauty standards.
Affairs Stories
Jenna has been a topic of various dating rumors. But she has always kept her dating life private. So, as some of the rumors were quite prominent, she addressed them publicly and denied them.
Some of the affair rumors that sparked noise in Hollywood include names like Jacob Sartorius and Johnny Depp. Also, there were speculations about Jenna Ortega and Asher Angel being together.
However, the Scream actress has stated that she was never romantically involved with any of the mentioned celebrities. She also clarified that the dating rumours with Johnny Depp are completely fabricated and she has never even met him.
Recent Activities
➜ Jenna Ortega has recently been seen in the Wednesday season 2 promotions with a neutral reptile skin-patterned gown on. This dress is a collection of Ashi Studio Fall 2025 Haute Couture. This outfit resembles a “ghostly snakeskin” vibe.
➜ The actress has recently spoken out about her perspective on social media. She shared that her online presence is completely for business purposes, also expressing concerns about the isolative nature of the young social media community.
How Jenna Ortega Became a Global Sensation?
The “Stuck in the Middle” star, Jenna Ortega, rose to global fame largely for her captivating character portrayal of Wednesday Addams in the popular Netflix series “Wednesday”. Her signature dance move and non-blinking gaze became viral, solidifying her status as a rising Hollywood star.
However, apart from the success of “Wednesday”, her gothic and cold character in horror films like “X” and “Scream VI” contributed to her huge recognition among horror movie lovers.
Here are some other major factors that have helped Jenna become an international sensation:
✦ Unique gothic and edgy fashion influence on high-profile global events
✦ Ability to portray a wide variety of characters for different movie genres like horror, comedy, and adventure
✦ Strong social media presence and active connectivity with young fans
Conclusion
The young Hollywood actress has become a Gen Z favourite with her prominent acting skills. Though her early career was quite struggling and filled with obstacles, she broke through them all with hard work, dedication, and acting skill development.
We are all aware of how she has seamlessly played the complex roles in horror movies and drama genres. However, Jenna Ortega is known for her authentic online presence. Millions of fans see her as a voice for their generation.
From child stardom to modern fame, she remains a significant and influential figure in Hollywood. If you are interested in knowing more influential stories of celebrities, we are here for the storytelling. Stay connected!
FAQs
The former US president Barack Obama was Jenna Ortega’s first crush.
The actress left Scream because of the production issues. She addressed that Scream VI was “falling apart”.
Though Jenna holds a Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, she does not speak Spanish fluently, as she wasn’t raised speaking Spanish at home. Like many immigrant families, they also speak English at home.
Yes. The 22-year-old actress has been seen smoking cigarettes in public places. However, some fans said that it is a decision of her personal choices, and some have criticized her habit.
Jenna Ortega is not a vegan now. She was vegan previously while filming Wednesday in 2022 and Romania for Netflix.