If you’ve been binge-watching Netflix series Wednesday since its November release, you’ll already be very familiar with Jenna Ortega – our very own modern day Wednesday Addams and the latest cult actor on our radar.
The 20-year-old star may have found extra fame on Netflix’s latest must-watch show, but she’s actually been in the biz since she was a child actor, and was the main character in Disney’s Stuck In The Middle when she was just 12.
These days, she’s got tens of millions of Instagram followers and made The Hollywood Reporter’s Rising Stars list for 2022 – with plenty more exciting roles in the pipeline (including another in the Scream horror franchise). So what else do we know about Jenna Ortega? Read on to find out:
Jenna Ortega is 20 years old
As of 2022, Jenna is 20 – she was born on 27 September 2002 (so yes, she’s a libra).
She was born in California and has Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage
Jenna was born in the Coachella Valley in Southern California. She is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent – her father is Mexican and her mother is Mexican and Puerto Rican. In 2016, she talked about her heritage in an essay for POPSUGAR, describing herself as: “75 percent Mexican and 25 percent Puerto Rican,” and adding: “My great-grandma on my mother’s side migrated from a small ranch near Sinaloa, Mexico. She came to the United States as an illegal immigrant in hopes to make a better life for her four daughters.”
Of her Puerto Rican family, she said her maternal grandfather was “born in Puerto Rico, moved to New York with his family… then moved to California.”
Speaking to Elle, Jenna revealed that her heritage was one of the main reasons she took the role in Wednesday. “I wasn’t looking to do TV again, but a big part of the reason why I said yes is because of the representation factor,” she said. “I know the feeling of growing up and not being able to relate to the people onscreen or never really seeing myself… Wednesday is such an iconic character, and such a badass. It’s really important that her history as a young Latina was shown for the first time — the heritage being shown as normal. It’s nice that there are hints and touches of her heritage there, but it’s not overwhelming. That’s the way life should be.”
Jenna Ortega has five siblings
Jenna was has five brothers and sisters – she was the fourth born. Her siblings are named Isaac, Mariah, Mia, Aaliyah and Markus (the latter of whom are twins).
Jenna’s mum, Natalie, often shares sweet pictures of the family on Instagram.
Jenna is good friends with Olivia Rodrigo
The two former Disney stars are close pals in real life! Having previously met on the Disney Channel comedy series Bizaardvark when they were 16 and 15, Jenna surprised Olivia by presenting her with her Best Music Documentary prize at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards.