Jenna Ortega recently opened up about her experiences as a child actor, revealing that she would frequently spend entire days without eating or drinking while on set. In an interview with Variety, the 23-year-old actress explained that her primary objective was to avoid being a burden to anyone around her.
Reflecting on Early Career Demands
I wasn’t asking for a sip of water,
Ortega recalled, according to Sportskeeda. I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.
Ortega described wearing a constant game face
out of immense gratitude and excitement for being on set, noting that she believed she made virtually no mistakes as a child. However, looking back on those years, she acknowledged the toll that self-suppression took. Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself,
she added, as reported by thenews.com.pk. Observers and fans on social media later reacted with concern regarding her physical appearance and wellbeing following the publication of the profile, according to Dailymail.
Early Inspiration and Root of Motivation
The actor’s journey into the entertainment industry began at a very young age. Ortega was just seven years old when she first informed her parents of her ambition to pursue acting. According to timesofindia.indiatimes.com, her parents initially laughed at her aspiration, which instead served as the foundational spark for her career.
I was 7 years old when I said I wanted to do this,
Ortega said. My parents laughed at me when I told them that I wanted to do it, and then that was kind of the root of everything. The motivation. And I never really stopped, because I’m very stubborn. And then I never questioned it.
During her formative years, Ortega found a major source of inspiration in fellow child star Dakota Fanning, particularly pointing to Fanning’s performance in the 2004 film Man on Fire.
Watching another young girl on screen demonstrated a sense of wisdom that taught a young Ortega what an actor actually was.
Building a Comprehensive Acting Resume
Before achieving widespread recognition as the titular character in the Netflix series Wednesday,
Ortega built an extensive list of credits across television and film. Her early television work included headlining the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle,
which debuted in February 2016 when she was 13 years old.
Additional early credits in her growing portfolio span numerous projects, including appearances in:
- Stuck in the Middle
- Wednesday
- Richie Rich
- Jane the Virgin
- You
- Elena of Avalor
- Iron Man 3
- Insidious: Chapter 2
When asked about the prevalent narratives and stigmas surrounding child stars, Ortega offered a candid observation. Is it wrong to say that a lot of them are true?
she quipped. And do with that what you will.
Meanwhile, her professional slate continues to expand with upcoming film roles, including portraying an Artificial Friend robot in Klara and the Sun,
based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, and appearing in the J.J. Abrams-directed fantasy movie The Great Beyond.
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