Actress Jenna Ortega is one of the hottest properties in Hollywood right now. Having started her career as a child, she is now an established star. She’s known best for playing the eponymous role in the Netflix mystery horror comedy series “Wednesday.” The star recently revealed that she’s made some serious sacrifices along the way — notably in the form of not feeding and hydrating herself.
Ortega, 23, made a name for herself in the 2010s, on television, in shows like the romantic comedy drama series “Jane the Virgin” and the Disney Channel’s family comedy series “Stuck in the Middle.” More recently, she’s established herself as a scream queen with roles in horror movies like 2022’s “Scream” and “X,” and 2023’s “Scream VI,” as well as comedy horrors like 2022’s “Studio 666” and “American Carnage,” and 2024’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
As an up-and-coming child star in her early career, Ortega would go all day without eating or drinking. She explained why in a recent chat with Esquire.
Jenna Ortega Wanted ‘To Not Be In the Way of Anybody’
Jenna Ortega is a featured star of Esquire’s 2026 Mavericks of Hollywood issue (see above). Speaking to the publication for their “How I Got Here” feature, she explained why she would work entire days as a child without consuming any food or drink.
Ortega said, “As a child, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on.”
She went on, “I wasn’t asking for a sip of water. I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.”
The star then admitted, “Maybe that was my mistake, was like not actually looking after myself.”
It’s good that Ortega has recognized that neglecting essential sustenance wasn’t a great idea. It’s even more fantastic to see her thriving now — and thriving is undoubtedly a suitable way to describe her career in 2026.
Ortega’s Career Has Blossomed
As of 2026, Jenna Ortega’s career is a huge success story, with much more to come.
This year so far, she starred in Cathy Yan’s dark comedy thriller “The Gallerist.” She will also appear in Taika Waititi’s dystopian sci-fi movie “Klara and the Sun,” which hits theaters in October.
Per Netflix, Ortega is also filming season 3 of “Wednesday.” There’s no release date for that yet, but it’s more than likely to hit the popular streaming platform next year.
Speaking of next year, Ortega will appear in J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi fantasy film “The Great Beyond” in 2027.
Other upcoming projects include the fantasy mystery movie “Ghost Writer,” the sports drama film “Nasty,” and the sci-fi drama movie “Lily May B.” Ortega is also rumored to be starring in the remake of the 1992 psychological erotic thriller “Single White Female.”
Suffice it to say that Jenna Ortega’s career continues to go from strength to strength. We look forward to seeing everything she has to offer going forward. Here’s hoping she remembers to eat and drink when she’s working!
Jenna Ortega’s filmography info was courtesy of IMDb.
