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What Everyone Should Know About Jenna Ortega
By BRANDON MILLER
The Acting Bug
Jenna Ortega’s desire to appear on screen developed after she watched the 2004 film, "Man on Fire," starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning, at the age of six.
When Ortega was 10, her mother made a Facebook post featuring her dramatic monologue reading, which garnered the attention of a casting director
in their extended network.
The Commercial Kid
In her initial years, Ortega was asked only to do commercials. “My team told me, 'We don't know what you're capable of, so do commercials first,”
she told Allure.
Ortega, quite impressively, booked a dozen national campaigns in that one-year period including big spots for Colgate, Fruity Pebbles, Old Navy, Burger King, and McDonald's.
The Disney Image
After a couple of small roles, Ortega got the lead in Disney's "Stuck in the Middle." However, it became difficult for the actor to shed her Disney image later on.
"It's really hard to get away from that stereotype, especially because real acting isn't really associated with Disney," Ortega admitted to Women's Wear Daily.
Acting In “You”
"You" was a huge gig for Ortega, as it was her first big role after leaving Disney, and the show was already an established hit for Netflix by the time she joined.
The actor was quite nervous about her new show. “Coming off of Disney, that was my first project, and I felt like I had completely forgotten how to act," Ortega told HOLA.
Getting Into Films
Despite getting her presence on television, Ortega’s ultimate goal is to pursue a more traditional film career with diverse roles that challenge her as an actor.
"I think specifically my interest is indies,” Ortega told The Hollywood Reporter. “It's always really exciting to provide or contribute to people's outlets of creativity."