Jenna Ortega Says Mom Watched ‘Like a Hawk’ to Keep Her Safe as a Child Actor

As former child stars increasingly come forward to share their encounters with sexual misconduct in Hollywood, Jenna Ortega has reflected on her own experience entering the world of acting at a young age, underscoring the crucial role her mother played in keeping her safe while on set.
Ortega, the daughter of Natalie Ortega, an emergency room nurse, and Edward Ortega, a businessman, was born and raised in California’s Coachella Valley with her five siblings.
Now 21, Ortega was only nine when she began acting. In 2012, she landed minor roles on the CBS sitcom Rob and the police procedural television series CSI: NY, and the following year, she appeared in the films Iron Man 3 and Insidious: Chapter 2.
In 2014, Ortega landed a recurring role in “Jane the Virgin,” portraying the younger version of the title character, played by Gina Rodriguez. After appearing in a slew of other roles, including “Days of Our Lives,” “Rake,” “Know It All Nina,” and “Richie Rich,” Ortega garnered her breakthrough role in 2016 at the age of 13, playing Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel series “Stuck in the Middle.”
Reflecting on her early acting days, Ortega said she and her mother recently shared a heart-to-heart after the latter watched Investigation Discovery’s “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.” Released in March, the explosive five-part docuseries explores the toxic underpinnings of children’s television programs throughout the ‘90s and aughts.
“She just called me saying she was so grateful that things were OK and that she was there to witness everything,” the actress recalled.
“Child acting is strange. I see why my parents felt so hesitant about it because you’re putting a child in an adult workplace,” Ortega said. “It’s completely changed my way of thinking and going about life.”
The “Wednesday” star asserted that children shouldn’t work in these types of environments. “They are supposed to be climbing trees and drawing and going to school,” she said.
“I feel really, really fortunate to have had parents who made sure that I hung out with friends, made sure that I went to public school, and wouldn’t allow me to work on a job unless I had straight A’s and was prioritizing my sleep and my schoolwork.”
However, she said her parents still made it a point to ensure that she maintained a humble outlook on life—despite her newfound fame.
“Another thing that I love about them is they do not care at all what I do; they have no interest in this world in this industry,” Ortega said, calling her childhood “very normal.”
“I could come home from working with cool people or prominent people or people that I respected and they had no interest,” she continued. “It was, ‘Hey, you missed your day to do the dishes, or you didn’t do the dishes before you left.’”
After appearing in the second season of Netflix’s hit series “You,” which premiered in December 2019, Ortega went on to star in the 2022 horror film “Scream,” (also known as “Scream 5”), a role she reprised in 2023’s “Scream IV.”
The actress has also been recognized for her work in the Netflix series “Wednesday,” for which she garnered nominations at the Golden Globes and the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2023. The second season of the horror series is expected to air in 2025.
Ortega is now set to appear in the “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” sequel, out Sept. 6, which stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux.