Netflix’s “Wednesday” star, Jenna Ortega, opened up about facing challenges in auditions due to not fitting certain beauty standards. Despite her recent success, Jenna revealed the difficulties she encountered as a young actress striving for leading roles.
In an interview with Harpers Bazaar, Jenna discussed the limitations she faced growing up as a Hispanic child actress. She highlighted the industry’s tendency to stereotype, noting that as a child actor, options often boiled down to being the younger version of someone or playing someone’s daughter. However, Jenna struggled to find leading roles due to a lack of representation for Hispanic actors in those positions.
Born to Mexican and Puerto Rican parents, Jenna faced rejection in auditions because she didn’t conform to a specific appearance. This experience took a toll on her confidence and self-esteem, as she couldn’t change something inherent to her identity.
Despite initial setbacks, Jenna embraced her uniqueness as she matured, deciding not to let others dictate her worth based on appearance. Her journey took a positive turn with the success of Netflix’s “Wednesday,” solidifying her status as a rising star.
While the first season garnered praise and a renewal for the Addams Family spin-off, a delay in season 2 is expected due to WGA strikes. Although the script was a top priority for Netflix, viewers might have to wait until late 2024 or even 2025 for the release of “Wednesday” season 2.