Jenna Ortega has candidly shared her experience of being thrust into the limelight at a young age and the “terrifying feeling” that comes with the reality of fame.
Ortega began her journey in the entertainment industry at just 10 years old, with roles in Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle, Jane the Virgin, and even Iron Man 3. Nonetheless, her fame has surged significantly in recent years due to her roles in various films and TV shows.
The 21-year-old actor has achieved notable success, featuring prominently in the Scream franchise and starring as the lead in Tim Burton’s TV series Wednesday. Moreover, she secured the main role in the sequel of the legendary Beetlejuice, which is scheduled to hit theaters this week.
Discussing her admiration for fellow Beetlejuice star Winona Ryder, Ortega delved into her journey into stardom after her significant roles in productions like Wednesday and Scream.
She shared with MTV that she and Ryder have discussed their similar paths in the entertainment industry—Ryder having entered the scene at 15 with the 1986 movie Lucas and then starring in Beetlejuice, turning 16 during its production.
Ortega remarked, “We definitely sit down and have talked about it extensively. And it’s really, really reassuring and comforting especially because when we were shooting Beetlejuice, it hadn’t even been a year since Wednesday came out so everything was still fresh and new.”
Despite the support, Ortega acknowledges that it can also be “scary.”
The actor elaborates, “It’s like a terrifying feeling. And I don’t say that to complain or to say, ‘Oh it’s so hard doing it’. But it is. It is like a lot happens. And it’s definitely an adjustment.”
Ortega concludes, “I’m very grateful to be where I am and she [Ryder] had a similar thing to say. It was just so nice to speak to someone who actually understood me, because you can turn to your family who loves and supports you, but they don’t know.
“It was just really insightful and opening and that was definitely one of the things we connected on.”
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is coming to theaters tomorrow (September 6).
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