Obsessed with Wednesday? Here’s 9 More Jenna Ortega Roles That’ll Hook You

Who Is Jenna Ortega?

The legendary Jenna Ortega—you’ve seen her kicking ass and playing the cello in Wednesday, but have you ever wondered exactly who Jenna Ortega really is? As kids, some of us dream of being doctors, firefighters, mothers or pastry chefs. Not Jenna. Her future fell into place when she watched Man on Fire, the Denzel Washington action-thriller starring a young Dakota Fanning. She was six years old and obsessed, telling her family she wanted to be the Puerto Rican Dakota Fanning. 

How Did Jenna Ortega Get Started In Cinema?

Cut to a year later and she’s discovered by a casting agent on Facebook after her mum posted an adorable video of her performing a dramatic monologue. Since then, she hasn’t taken her foot off the gas, acting in just about everything, from toothpaste commercials to feature films, Disney shows to music videos. She’s also an activist, style icon and writer. In 2021, she published an original collection of quotes and affirmations titled It’s All Love. She is 22 years old.

Why Is Jenna Ortega Everywhere Right Now?

So why is she so famous you ask? In 2022, she pretty much became a household name after starring as everyone’s favourite spooky teen Wednesday Addams in the series Wednesday, a huge hit that spawned viral memes, tiktok dance trends and a second season, quickly becoming one of Netflix’ most-watched English-Language shows ever. When preparing for the role, she really did her homework, spending months reading and watching every piece of Addams Family media she could find, immersing herself in goth culture and learning a bunch of new skills, including German, fencing and cello. She did her own stunts, choreographed the Wednesday dance and performed every scene without blinking, delivering an iconic performance that reintroduced a beloved character to a new generation.

What Kind Of Jenna Ortega Fan Are You?

You've just finished binging Wednesday season 2 and you’re sitting on your couch with a gaping Jenna Ortega sized hole in your heart, hungry for more. Good news, we’re here to help, with a juicy stack of recs featuring everyone’s favourite little outcast. Whether you’re a newly appointed member of the Jenna fan club, or a ride or die devotee, we’ve got you covered.

The Jenna Ortega Seeker

You’re someone who’s only recently jumped on the Jenna hype train after binging both seasons of Wednesday and now you’re curious to see what else she’s done. Here are the perfect recs for you:

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

The highly anticipated legacy sequel to Beetlejuice sees Jenna teaming up again with Wednesday director Tim Burton. Joining some of the original cast including Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, Jenna plays Astrid, Ryder’s estranged daughter who crushes on the wrong boy and accidentally opens up a portal to the afterlife. The film is a total crowd-pleaser from beginning to end, treating its viewers to the same weird, bonkers energy that made the OG a cult classic. If you love Wednesday for its spooky vibes and offbeat characters, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the natural next choice. 

Where To Stream: Available on HBO Max

Scream V & Scream VI

Speaking of legacy sequels, in 2022 and 2023, Jenna starred as Tara Carpenter in Scream V & Scream VI, two new chapters in the iconic Scream franchise. Her talent for screaming and crying won her a Most Frightened Performance award at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards and the title of Gen Z Scream Queen. If you’re a fan of the original Scream films, or even just slashers in general, you’ll definitely enjoy your time with these new entries. Just be prepared to sleep with the lights on. 

Where To Stream: Available on Apple TV

Taste Music Video

If Jenna Ortega’s prowess in the horror arena wasn’t already obvious, jump onto youtube now and watch the music video for Sabrina Carpenter’s Taste. Jenna is having the time of her life, playing the new girlfriend of Carpenter’s ex. The music video is basically a 3 minute slasher-comedy featuring two former Disney kids trying to kill each other in the most OTT ways. It’s hilarious, stylish and full of killer fits. If you’re a fan of cinematic music videos, this one is essential viewing. 

Where To Stream: Available on Youtube

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The Jenna Ortega Stan

You’ve watched and rewatched all of Jenna’s glossy blockbusters, music video cameos, rapid fire interviews and Hot Ones appearances and you’re ready to jump into her indie and arthouse catalogue. Add these to your watchlist:

The Fallout

In a recent interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, Jenna called out Vada Cavell from The Fallout as “probably my favourite character I’ve ever played.” Megan Park’s debut film about several teens trying to make sense of their world after a tragic school shooting is Jenna Ortega’s highest rated film on Letterboxd and a wonderful showcase for her range as an actor. She delivers such a relatable and understated performance that is so different to anything else she’s done. Rather than focus on the perpetrator/s, The Fallout centres the survivors and the people left behind. It’s dealing with some heavy stuff, but it’s also a hangout movie with a lot of humour and heart. 

Where To Stream: Available on HBO Max

X

Jenna’s role in the A24 slasher flick X may be small, but her impact is huge. There’s a scene where she lets out a bloodcurdling scream and it’s honestly worthy of an Academy award—it’s that good. If you’ve been living under a rock, X is the first film in a horror trilogy directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth. It follows a group of young filmmakers in 1979 who are trying to make an adult film on a ranch in rural Texas. It’s all fun and sexy at first, but when the elderly couple who own the ranch realise what the young crew are up to, the film takes a violent and shocking left turn. Currently sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, X is absolutely wild from beginning to end. Just don’t watch it with your parents. 

Where To Stream: Available on Apple TV

Miller’s Girl

Okay, hear us out for a second. Yes, Miller’s Girl may only have an average rating of 1.8 on Letterboxd. Yes, one of the characters is named Cairo Sweet (you read that right) and yes, it may not be very good, BUT Jenna is great in it, and if you're a Jenna Ortega stan, that means you’re going to watch it and (maybe) love it, no matter what. Miller’s Girl is a coming of age drama about a talented young writer who falls hard and fast for her much older, married teacher. The script’s a little messy and some of the dialogue is cringe, but there’s a lot to enjoy here, including some gorgeous cinematography and a charming supporting performance from Gideon Adlon. 

Where To Stream: Available on Binge

The Jenna Ortega Stalker

You’re practically a Jenna Ortega historian at this point and you will greedily consume anything she’s in, even if it’s a Disney show aimed at kids or a single season of a tv show. Get your Jenna fix with these hits below.

You (Season 2)

Jenna Ortega is very good at making minor characters feel like main ones. In season 2 of the popular Netflix series You, Jenna shows up as plucky and precocious Ellie Alves (aka Eyeballs), a 15 year old film nerd who lives in the same apartment complex as Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg. She’s likeable straight away, sassy as hell and leaves a trail of sarcasm everywhere she goes. Unfortunately for her though, she lives next door to creepy Joe so you’ll spend the rest of the season wanting to protect her at all costs. 

Where To Stream: Available on Netflix

Jane the Virgin

When Jenna Ortega was 12 she was cast in her very first recurring TV role, playing Gina Rodriguez’ younger self in Jane the Virgin. Appearing in a total of 30 episodes via flashbacks, Jenna is insanely cute as young Jane, obsessed with being a good girl and living up to the standards of her super religious abuela. There’s a scene where she has to get an injection and it’s actually one of the most adorable things ever put on screen. Scoring a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Jane the Virgin was a turning point in how Latina women were represented on screen, running for five seasons and centering Latin-America characters, stories and traditions.  

Where To Stream: Available on Stan

Stuck in the Middle

The time has come, let’s talk about Jenna’s Disney era. From 2016 - 2018, she starred as Harley Diaz in Stuck in the Middle, a charming little sitcom that follows the everyday lives of a Mexican-American family. The show was praised for its authentic representation of Latino families on the Disney channel and in 2018, Jenna won the Imagen Award for Best Young Actor. She plays the middle kid, often doing the Fleabag thing where she breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience, showing us her latest invention or spilling a secret. If you’ve got kids or you just wanna see a young Jenna flex, Stuck in the Middle is a perfect Saturday morning binge. 

Where To Stream: Available on Disney+