NEED TO KNOW
- Jenna Ortega appeared on the cover of Vogue México and Latin America’s September issue
- In her interview with the outlet, she revealed that in the early years of her career, she felt that she did “not have a voice”
- “I don’t want to be in that situation again,” the Wednesday actress said, noting she’s decided to find her “professional, efficient and kind” voice
Jenna Ortega is clear about what she’s avoiding as she navigates Hollywood.
The Wednesday star recently appeared on the cover of Vogue México and Latin America’s September issue, where she chatted about growing up as a child star and her fears while being on set.
Before starring in the hit Netflix series, Ortega, 22, appeared in Jane the Virgin, You (season 2), Iron Man 3, Night of the Demon: Chapter 2, Richie Rich and Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle.
She told the outlet that earlier in her career, she didn’t feel heard. “Being young and assertive is intense for a lot of people, as a woman. I’ve always known what it’s like to not have a voice, and that terrifies me,” she explained.
“I don’t want to be in that situation again,” she continued. “But for me, it’s just about making sure I use my voice in the most professional, efficient, and kind way possible.”
“For most of my career, I didn’t know how to express myself,” she said, before confessing that she “didn’t know [she] could.”
“I was very young, I didn’t know anything about the industry, perhaps because of certain professional experiences I’d had in the past that were a little more difficult,” she revealed. “I shut myself away and became very insecure about my place.” Ortega did not reveal which production invoked these fears.
She explained that working environments should “always be a collaborative experience,” adding, “the best work often comes from the ideas of a group of people and a collective vision.”
Ortega also shared that fame has changed how she presents herself to the world, pushing her to become a more “cautious” person.
“I used to be a very extroverted child, but I’ve become more reserved,” she told the outlet, per Latin Times. “It doesn’t mean something negative. It just means I choose my words carefully.”
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As for choosing her words carefully, she is mindful about how she talks about her Latin heritage. Ortega’s father, Edward, is of Mexican descent, and her mother, Natalie, is of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage. Ortega and her family grew up in Indio, Calif. She told Vogue México and Latin America her upbringing in Indio’s Spanish community is a “fundamental part of [her] identity.”
“I think these kinds of things don’t go away or change,” she said. It’s just what I know.”
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