Jenna Ortega has opened up about an uncomfortable part of her childhood as an actor, revealing that she sometimes went entire days without eating or drinking while working on set. In a new Esquire interview, the Wednesday star explained that she was so determined not to inconvenience anyone that she avoided asking for even basic things such as food or water. Her comments offer a more personal look at the mindset she carried while building a career in Hollywood from a very young age.
Ortega said she was extremely grateful to be working and felt that keeping her “game face” on was part of doing her job properly. Looking back now, however, she recognises that her determination to stay out of everyone’s way also meant she was neglecting herself. She admitted that this may have been one of the mistakes she made during her early years in the industry.
Jenna Ortega Opens Up About Her Childhood
Ortega reflected on her early career while discussing how she changed from a child performer into one of Hollywood’s most recognisable young stars. Rather than describing herself as a difficult or rebellious child actor, she recalled being intensely focused on doing everything correctly and avoiding anything that might create extra work for the people around her.
“I really had it going for me as a child ‘cause I can’t think of one mistake I made,” Ortega said. “Is that a terrible thing to say? I feel like I make mistakes now all the time, but as a child, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on.”
She then explained what that mindset looked like on a working set. “I wasn’t asking for a sip of water,” she recalled. “I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.”
The actor now views that behaviour differently. “Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself,” Ortega said, acknowledging that the same determination that helped her remain focused may also have prevented her from taking care of basic needs.
Her comments are particularly striking because they reveal the pressure Ortega placed on herself rather than describing a specific demand from a director, producer or studio. She did not say that someone instructed her to avoid eating or drinking. Instead, she described an internal desire to avoid becoming a burden, something she now recognises as an unhealthy part of how she approached her work as a child.
That distinction is important when discussing the experiences of young performers. Child actors often have to navigate adult working environments while still learning how to understand their own boundaries, and Ortega’s comments show how professional ambition can sometimes become tied to the fear of being inconvenient. Her reflection is less about one production and more about the mindset she carried throughout that period of her career.
From Stuck in the Middle to Wednesday
Ortega began building her acting career long before she became associated with Wednesday Addams. One of her early television roles came in Stuck in the Middle, the Disney Channel series that premiered in 2016 when Ortega was 13. Her earlier credits also included appearances in Richie Rich, Jane the Virgin, You and the animated series Elena of Avalor.
The actor has previously spoken about wanting to perform from a very young age. In the Esquire conversation, she recalled telling her parents when she was seven that she wanted to become an actor, only for them to laugh at the idea initially. Ortega said that moment became the beginning of the motivation that eventually pushed her toward a professional 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.”
That determination eventually took her from child-focused television into more mature roles. Her performance in You introduced her to a much wider streaming audience, while the Scream franchise and films such as X helped establish her as a young actor capable of working across very different genres.
Then came Wednesday. The Netflix series transformed Ortega’s career almost overnight, with her portrayal of Wednesday Addams becoming one of the most recognisable performances in recent television. Netflix has already renewed the show for a third season, and production is underway with Ortega returning as Wednesday alongside several new additions to the cast.
The scale of her career today makes her memories of those early years particularly revealing. Ortega is no longer the teenager trying to prove she belongs on a set; she is now one of the central stars of a global Netflix franchise. Yet her recollection shows that the habits she developed as a young performer were shaped during a period when she was still learning how the entertainment industry worked.
Ortega Reflects on Child Star Stereotypes
The interview also touched on the stereotypes surrounding young actors who grow up in Hollywood. When asked about the stigma attached to child stars, Ortega gave a surprisingly blunt response.
“Is it wrong to say that a lot of them are true? And do with that what you will,” she said.
The comment reflects a more complicated view of the child-star experience than the usual success story. Ortega has experienced the positive side of growing up professionally, including major opportunities and global recognition, but she has also described moments when the demands of working from such a young age affected how she viewed herself and her responsibilities.
Her comments about food and water fit into that larger reflection. She was not describing herself as someone who was forced to behave that way; she was explaining how badly she wanted to avoid being “in the way of anybody.” That instinct can sound admirable when framed as professionalism, but Ortega now recognises that there was a cost to putting the needs of a production ahead of her own basic needs.
The conversation comes at another important stage in Ortega’s career. Wednesday Season 3 is currently in production, with Netflix confirming the return of Ortega and other key members of the cast. The new season is also adding actors including Winona Ryder, Eva Green, Chris Sarandon and Noah Taylor, giving the series another major ensemble around Ortega’s central character.
Outside Wednesday, Ortega is also expanding into films with very different creative ambitions. She stars in Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun, an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel in which she plays the titular artificial companion, alongside Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne and Steve Buscemi. The project is currently listed as a 2026 feature in post-production.
Her upcoming slate also includes J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond, while she has joined French filmmaker Leos Carax’s Lily May B, which is expected to begin filming in 2027.
That career expansion makes Ortega’s comments about her childhood especially timely. She has moved from being a young actor eager to prove herself into a performer who can now choose from major franchise projects and more unconventional films. The difference is not simply the size of the roles; it is also the perspective she has gained about what she needs from the work.
For Ortega, the most revealing part of the interview may therefore not be the story of how hard she worked as a child, but her willingness to acknowledge that she sometimes pushed herself too far. Her statement that she “was not actually looking after” herself shows that she now sees the difference between being committed to a career and ignoring her own needs.
It is also a reminder that child actors are children first, even when they are working in an adult professional environment. Ortega’s experience does not establish that every young performer faces the same pressures, but it does show how easily a desire to be professional can turn into a reluctance to ask for something as simple as water or food.
Today, Ortega’s career has reached a very different stage. With Wednesday returning for another season and several major films ahead, she has already established herself well beyond the child-star label. Her latest reflections suggest that part of growing up in Hollywood has involved learning not just how to perform, but how to look after the person behind the performance.
Jenna Ortega Interview Q&A
What did Jenna Ortega reveal about working as a child actor?
Ortega said she sometimes went an entire day without eating or drinking because she did not want to be “in the way of anybody” while working on set.
Why did Jenna Ortega avoid asking for food or water?
She explained that she was extremely grateful to be working and wanted to avoid inconveniencing anyone. Looking back, she said she believes that meant she was not properly looking after herself.
What did Jenna Ortega say about not taking care of herself?
She said, “Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself.”
When did Jenna Ortega decide she wanted to become an actor?
Ortega said she was seven years old when she told her parents that she wanted to act. She recalled that they initially laughed at her, but the ambition eventually became the motivation behind her career.
What was Jenna Ortega’s early breakthrough?
One of her major early roles was in Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle, which premiered in 2016 when she was 13. She later gained wider recognition through projects including Jane the Virgin, You, Scream and eventually Wednesday.
What is Jenna Ortega working on now?
Ortega is returning for Wednesday Season 3 and has several film projects ahead, including Klara and the Sun, J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond and Leos Carax’s Lily May B.
