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Jenna Ortega Reveals the Dark Side of Child Stardom
Jenna Ortega is opening up about the extreme pressure she placed on herself as a child actor, revealing that she sometimes went entire days without eating or drinking because she was terrified of becoming a burden on set. The Wednesday star’s candid admission is shining an uncomfortable spotlight on the hidden pressures young performers can face while growing up in Hollywood.
Ortega, now 23, reflected on her childhood career in a new interview with Esquire, explaining that her determination to succeed sometimes came at the expense of basic self-care.
“I wasn’t asking for a sip of water,” Ortega said. “I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.”
The actress now recognizes that her intense desire to appear professional may have gone too far. “Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself,” she admitted.
Jenna Ortega’s “Game Face” Came at a Cost
Ortega said she approached her early career with an intense sense of gratitude. Rather than risk disrupting a production, she tried to make herself as unobtrusive as possible.
“I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on,” she explained.
That mindset helped Ortega navigate an industry in which she began working at a remarkably young age. But looking back, the actress now sees a troubling downside to always trying to be the “perfect” young performer.
Her comments are particularly striking because they challenge the glamorous image often associated with child stardom. Behind the auditions, premieres and television appearances can be long working days, intense expectations and enormous pressure to prove oneself.
From Child Actor to ‘Wednesday’ Superstar
Ortega began acting professionally as a child, appearing in projects including Jane the Virgin, You, Richie Rich and Elena of Avalor. Her major breakthrough arrived with Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle, which premiered in 2016 when she was 13.
Her career subsequently exploded. She became internationally recognizable as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday, transforming the gothic character into one of the biggest television sensations of the streaming era. She later appeared in films including Scream, Scream VI and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Yet Ortega says her ambition stretches back much further than her breakout roles.
“I Was 7 Years Old” When She Chose Acting
Ortega recalled that she was just seven when she told her parents she wanted to become an actor. “My parents laughed at me when I told them that I wanted to do it,” she said.
Rather than abandoning the idea, Ortega became increasingly determined.
“That was kind of the root of everything. The motivation,” she explained. “And I never really stopped, because I’m very stubborn.”
Her comments offer a revealing look at the personality behind one of Hollywood’s biggest young stars. The same stubbornness that helped Ortega push through years of auditions and demanding productions may also have contributed to her reluctance to prioritize herself.
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Ortega Has a Blunt Take on Child Stars
The actress was also asked about the stereotypes surrounding child stars and gave an unusually candid response.
“Is it wrong to say that a lot of them are true?” Ortega said, adding that readers could “do with that what you will.”
She also credited fellow former child star Dakota Fanning with helping shape her understanding of acting when she was young. Ortega said seeing Fanning perform gave her the impression of someone possessing an extraordinary wisdom beyond her years.
Today, Ortega is no longer the quiet child actor afraid to ask for a glass of water. Her latest reflections suggest that growing up in Hollywood taught her another lesson: success is not worth much if a performer forgets to look after themselves along the way.
