Culture news “I was afraid” Jenna Ortega refused several times the role that made her a star: it could have killed her career
Jenna Ortega has one person in particular to thank because they pushed her to accept the role that forever changed her Hollywood career. The one who has since become the new Scream Queen planned to refuse the offer before being convinced otherwise by a great director. Sometimes a career hangs by a thread. In this case, a decision.
21 years old and already a long career behind her
Jenna Marie Ortega was born on September 27, 2002 in Palm Desert, California and began her career very early. In 2012, she made her debut in the sitcom Rob, then appeared the following year in Iron Man 3 in a minor role. His career then took off with two roles in television series. The first is none other than Jane the Virgin while the second will make her a rising star in Hollywood: Stuck in the Middle. Subsequently, the North American actress plays Ellie Alves in season 2 of the thriller You for Netflix. However, the real turning point comes in 2022.
Jenna Ortega can thank…
2022 is a pivotal year for Jenna Ortega, who is taking on major roles in several audiovisual works. Destiny (and her choices) made her the new Scream Queen in Hollywood following her notable performances in the Horror films Scream and X. However, she obtained her star status with a series produced by Netflix. History will remember – beyond his dance which ignited social networks – his initial refusal to play in the original production Wednesday. She wanted to concentrate on cinema and not be labeled a “TV Show actress”. She confided in our colleagues at The Sunday Times about this during an interview.
I got the email, I ignored it… I’ve done so much television in my life, all I ever wanted to do was film. I was afraid that by signing on for another television show, it would prevent me from doing other jobs that I really wanted and that were close to my heart. -Jenna Ortega
It is true that Jenna Ortega did a series of projects for “television” for a decade before being entrusted with roles intended to be seen on the big screen. Logically, she did not want to accept offers labeled “TV series” for fear of receiving exclusively this type of proposal afterwards. She knows what she wants and that is “to make cinema”.
When I started acting, I don’t want to say that no one believed in me, but at the same time, no one believed in me. You have to prove yourself. It was only three or four years ago that I was able to start acting in films. -Jenna Ortega
Jenna Ortega finally agreed to join Wednesday produced by Netflix and she was right to do so. Since the series’ release in November 2022, she went from aspiring actress to Hollywood star thanks to her portrayal of Wednesday Addams in the eponymous show. And she can thank Tim Burton for that. In fact, the director convinced him to accept the role. His status as a legend in Hollywood played a major role in the decision.
The only reason I went back is because Tim Burton (director and executive producer of Wednesday) is a legend, and we happened to get along really well. But even then, I said “Ah, no – I think it’s okay” two or three times. -Jenna Ortega