Jenna Ortega has rapidly become one of Hollywood’s most compelling young stars. From her early days on the Disney Channel to her current status as a bona fide “scream queen” and cultural icon, her trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. Her transformative role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix smash hit Wednesday catapulted her to global fame, earning critical acclaim and solidifying her position as a formidable force in the entertainment industry.
Born on September 27, 2002, Ortega began her career as a child actress, gaining recognition for her recurring role as the younger Jane in The CW’s Jane the Virgin (2014–2019). Her first leading role came with the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018), where she played engineering prodigy Harley Diaz, a performance that earned her an Imagen Award. Determined to avoid being typecast, Ortega consciously transitioned to more mature projects. She showcased her range as the street-smart Ellie Alves in the second season of Netflix’s thriller You and delivered a powerful, critically lauded performance as a school shooting survivor in the drama film The Fallout (2021).
The year 2022 marked Ortega’s definitive breakthrough, largely within the horror genre. She starred in a string of successful slasher films, earning the title of “Gen Z’s scream queen” from multiple media outlets. Her journey began with the revival of a classic franchise in Scream (2022), where she played Tara Carpenter, a role she would reprise in Scream VI (2023). She also appeared in Ti West’s critically acclaimed horror film X, which holds an impressive 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Foo Fighters-led horror-comedy Studio 666.
Ortega’s stardom reached new heights with her portrayal of Wednesday Addams in Tim Burton’s Netflix series, Wednesday. Her deadpan delivery, intense gaze, and self-choreographed dance scene turned the character into a cultural phenomenon. The series became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows ever, and Ortega’s performance garnered nominations for a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Now serving as an executive producer for the upcoming second season, Ortega has expressed a desire to steer the show towards its horror roots. In an interview with Good Morning America, she promised a season that is “darker, bigger, better.”
Her momentum continues with a diverse slate of projects. She recently starred as Astrid Deetz, the cynical daughter of Lydia Deetz, in Tim Burton’s highly successful sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). Her filmography also includes the complex drama Miller’s Girl and the upcoming dark comedy Death of a Unicorn. As anticipation builds for the second season of Wednesday, reports from outlets like Digital Trends Today suggest a two-part release is planned for late summer 2025, with an expanded cast that includes industry veterans Steve Buscemi and Christopher Lloyd, who famously portrayed Uncle Fester in the 1991 film.
Beyond her on-screen work, Ortega has become a style icon, known for her “goth glam” aesthetic, and uses her platform to advocate for various causes, including immigrant rights. With a keen sense for choosing impactful roles and an undeniable on-screen presence that The Guardian noted could “power a thousand hearses,” Jenna Ortega is not just a rising star; she is a powerhouse shaping the future of Hollywood.
