On Top of the Globe 🌎| Jenna Ortega

Entry



Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress. She began her career as a , receiving recognition for her role as young in comedy-drama series (2014–2019). From 2016 to 2018, she had a leading role as in the series , for which she won an . She played in the of the thriller series in 2019 and starred in the family film (2021), both for .

Ortega received critical praise for her performance in the teen drama film (2021). She went on to star in the slasher films and (both 2022), and (2023), which established her as a . In 2022, she began starring as in the Netflix horror comedy series , for which she received nominations at the , and .

Early life

Jenna Marie Ortega was born on September 27, 2002, in , United States, the fourth of six children. Her father, a former sheriff who works at the California 's office, is of Mexican descent; and her mother, an nurse, is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. Ortega's maternal great-grandmother was an from , Mexico, and her maternal grandfather was from Puerto Rico. Ortega grew up in . She wanted to act from the age of six; for three years, she begged her mother to let her pursue a career. Her mother attempted to distract her with activities such as soccer and school. Ortega almost quit pursuing acting to participate in the former. Her mother later bought her a monologue book and posted a video of a nine-year-old Ortega performing one. A casting director noticed the video and signed Ortega to an agency.

Ortega's mother began driving her to up to five days a week to attend auditions—a trip that sometimes took six hours. Ortega recalled feeling guilty about pursuing a career: "well if this doesn't work out, I'm screwed ... I just put my entire family through this because that's a lot of money and time that we did not have." She struggled to secure parts as few roles existed for Latinas and she did not have "the look" sought by casting directors. Ortega stated rejections motivated her to change their viewpoint and "get rid of that description". She limited her auditions to commercials for her first year as she had no connections in the filmmaking industry; she secured parts in 12 national campaigns, including three commercials. During the week, Ortega acted in Los Angeles for a few days and returned home to attend school. She enrolled in public school, attending Amelia Earhart Elementary School and . She dropped out during eighth grade to act in projects and got an apartment in Los Angeles after landing her role in (2016–2018). During this time, Ortega worked in Los Angeles throughout the week and went home on the weekends.

Career2012–2017: Early acting roles and Disney

Ortega made her acting debut in the sitcom (2012). She subsequently made an appearance in the episode "" as an accidental shooting victim. In 2013, she made her film debut with a minor role in the superhero film as the vice president's daughter. That same year, Ortega appeared in the horror film as part of the supporting cast. Both were successful at the box office, with the former ranking among the .

From 2014 to 2019, Ortega recurred on the comedy television series as a younger version of , who is portrayed by as an adult. Ortega said her audition was not "anything overwhelmingly special" and attributed her casting to her resemblance to Rodriguez. Declan Gallagher of commended Ortega's performance: "she eschews the trappings of a typical child actor. She's knowing without being cute, her delivery natural and, at times, tossed off in a way that veteran performers struggle to master." She also starred in the comedy film (2014) and the series (2015). Ortega appeared in the film (2015) as Anna Chapa. The praised her as "adorable", whereas found her "horribly cloying".

From 2016 to 2018, Ortega led the sitcom as Harley Diaz, an aspiring inventor who is the middle child of the seven siblings. She said booking the role was "one of the best days of my life". Ortega drew inspiration from her own family and relationships with her siblings; she felt her experience starring on the show was akin to . praised her performance, asserting that she "commands this role, pleading her case as a long-suffering middle kid while finding the humor in the many calamities that befall her efforts to shine". Ortega garnered three nominations for Best Young Actor – Television, including a win in 2018. She also voiced Princess Isabel in (2016) and (2016–2020).