Whether you’ve already devoured Tim Burton’s spooky fantasy series Wednesday on Netflix or are just gearing up to start it, getting to know the show’s leading lady, Jenna Ortega, will undoubtedly enrich your experience.
She may seem like a fresh face to some, but chances are, you’ve seen Jenna on screen long before she slipped into the iconic role of Wednesday Addams. With years of acting under her belt and an impressive list of credits, she’s far from new to the spotlight.
So who is Jenna Ortega, really? Where did she come from, how did she get her start in the industry, and what makes her so fascinating off screen as well as on? To help you get better acquainted, #legend_th has rounded up six things you may not know about this rising star but absolutely should.
She Got Her Start as a Child Actress
Jenna began acting at the age of just nine, playing young Jane in the hit series Jane the Virgin (2014–2019). She then starred as Harley Diaz in Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018) on Disney Channel, a role that earned her the 2018 Imagen Award for Best Young Actor, Television. It was clear early on that she had both charm and screen presence far beyond her years.
Wednesday Isn’t Her First Netflix Role
While Wednesday may have turned her into a global sensation, Jenna’s collaboration with Netflix actually began years earlier. Her first Netflix series was Richie Rich (2015), where she played Darcy. She later took on the role of Ellie Alves in the hit psychological thriller You (2019), receiving widespread praise for her performance. Since then, her partnership with Netflix has only grown, culminating in her starring role as Wednesday Addams in 2022.
She Once Voiced a Disney Princess
At just 14, Jenna lent her voice to Princess Isabel in Disney’s animated series Elena of Avalor (2016–2020), which centres around the first Latina Disney princess. The show celebrates Latin American culture, and Jenna has said she felt incredibly proud to voice a character who shared her heritage. “It felt like, finally, this was my Disney princess,” she once shared, a dream come true for her younger self.
Despite Playing an Introvert, She’s Actually an Extrovert
Jenna’s portrayal of Wednesday Addams, a character known for her stoicism, solitude, and sharp tongue, is so convincing that many might assume Jenna herself is just as reserved. In reality, she’s quite the opposite. She has described herself in interviews as highly extroverted, someone who loves engaging with others and thrives in social situations. Playing Wednesday, then, was a serious acting challenge — one that required careful study and deep character work.
She’s a True Night Owl
Jenna has openly admitted that she’s a night person through and through. “My energy’s at its peak after sunset,” she once said. “That’s when the ideas start flowing and I feel most alive.” Mornings, on the other hand, are not her strong suit, she finds herself slow to start and often creatively drained before the sun sets. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that she embodied the eerie, nocturnal world of Wednesday so effortlessly.
Her Viral Dance Scene Was Improvised
One of the most iconic moments in Wednesday Season 1, the now-famous school dance scene, became a viral sensation almost overnight. The choreography, strange and spellbinding, captured Wednesday’s personality perfectly: gothic, defiant, stylish, and entirely original.
What most people don’t know is that Jenna choreographed the dance herself live, on set. Despite having no formal dance training, she researched obsessively, drawing inspiration from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Denis Lavant in Beau Travail (1999), and even vintage clips of goth kids dancing in the 1980s.
Once she felt ready, she improvised the entire routine during filming. The result was so striking that even Netflix executives took notice and as predicted, the scene went massively viral across social media.
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Photo credit: jennaortega via Instagram
Banner by COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Photo credit: jennaortega via Instagram
