Jenna Ortega started as a child actor and is a former Disney star. And while she was known in the circles, she catapulted to fame for her portrayal of Wednesday Addams In Netflix’s dramedy Wednesday.
She made goth girl cool again, so yes it was dark but in a refreshing change, it wasn’t all black lipsticks and smokey eyes. In what is perhaps interesting is how she’s translated the character down of Wednesday Addams down to her own closet and we love her brand of goth.
But besides her goth-esqueness which has won her plenty of fans, Jenna has given everyone plenty of reasons to love her, leading to a fan following that goes beyond borders and is growing every single day. We can think of a few reasons why this just might be.
1.She has a stellar filmography
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Before she was Wednesday, Ortega made appearances in several famous shows where she left an imprint, even when she wasn’t playing the lead. By the age of 20, Ortega had worked with various prestigious projects.
She is famously known for her portrayal of Allie in season 2 of You, where she plays a neighbour to the psychopathic Joe Goldberg, and she is well known for her portrayal for playing a younger Jane in Jane The Virgin.
Her other acting credits include her reoccurring role as Tara Carpenter in the Scream movies, and a moving performance in The Fallout based on the topic of the delicate uncovering of trauma faced after school shooting.
Her portrayal of Wednesday Addams under Tim Burton’s direction made her a household name and earned her several acting accolades and nominations.
2.She stands up for what she believes in
Jenna Ortega is bold, opinionated and unafraid of speaking her mind. She stands up for the causes she believes in and has shown support to various things she holds close to her heart.
Belonging to a family of immigrants Jenna Ortega, has shown her unending support to immigrants issues in the USA. She is proud of her Hispanic culture and Mexican heritage, is fairly vocal about the rights of immigrants that came to USA seeking a better life.
Melania Trump, in a tone deaf moment, wore a jacket with the words ‘I really dont care, do u?’ scrawled on the back while visiting immigrant children separated from their parents. Ortega wore this jacket following it with a statement that as the first lady, Melania should care as well.
She held a fundraiser for a little girl suffering from cancer, and has been an active part of ‘Pride Over Prejudice’, a campaign working for the rights of LGBTQ community, since the age of 13.
3.She is a girls girl
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Jenna Ortega has been best of friends with several of her costars, such as Olivia Rodrigo, Maddie Ziegler, Emma Myers and more. She has been close with all her previous co stars and is the kind of person you want in your corner.
She shares fun banter with her friends and compliments them any chance she gets. She’s truly a girl’s girl.
4. She added her own charm to Wednesday Addams
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Following her Emmy nomination, Jenna revealed her contribution to the character. She requested her writers and directors to changed some of her lines that, according to her, did not fit Wednesday Addams.
She admitted to become very attached and protective of the character and didn’t hesitate to have some creative input leading her to become an exec in the next season. She was praised for her creative input by audiences and critics alike.
She asked to remove a line ‘Oh my god! I am freaking over a dress, I literally hate myself’ as she didn’t think that was something her character would ever say, and we agree.
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The most liked and popular scene of the series also belonged to Ortega’s imagination, instead of leading a mob as the original script suggested, Ortega designed a dance fit for her character.
Her dance as Wednesday in the prom episode was choreographed by her after studying various goth club footage from 1980’s. This dance with Lady Gaga’s Bloody Mary in the background took the internet by storm.
Also read, 5 Portrayals Of Male-Female Friendships That Restored Our Belief In Platonic Love
