Jenna Ortega

Jenna Marie Ortega is an American actress born on September 27, 2002. She began her career as a child actor, gaining early recognition for playing a younger version of Jane Villanueva on the comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin. She went on to achieve wider fame through her lead role in the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle, for which she won an Imagen Award, as well as her transition into mature projects in television and film.

Known for her prominent work in horror and slasher films, media publications have referred to Ortega as a scream queen. She received critical acclaim for her leading role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix comedy-horror series Wednesday. Her performance earned her nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, making her the second-youngest nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was included on The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 list in 2023 and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2024.

Ortega was born in Rancho Mirage, California, to Edward Ortega, a former sheriff of Mexican descent, and Natalie Ortega, an emergency room nurse of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. Raised in La Quinta, California, as the fourth of six children, she developed an interest in acting at age six. Her mother posted a video of her performing online when she was nine, leading to an agency signing. Ortega initially auditioned for commercials before landing guest roles and making her film debut in Iron Man 3 (2013).

Following her work with Disney, Ortega transitioned to darker, more mature material. She played Ellie Alves in the thriller series You, starred in the horror film The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and voiced a role in Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous. In 2021, she starred as a traumatized high school student in the drama film The Fallout, for which her performance was critically lauded, and published her book It's All Love: Reflections for Your Heart & Soul.

Ortega expanded her film career by starring in the slasher films Scream (2022), X (2022), and Scream VI (2023). She also hosted Saturday Night Live in 2023. Her subsequent projects include the crime thriller Finestkind (2023), the drama film Miller's Girl (2024), the fantasy film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), and the thriller film Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025). Alongside her acting, she is noted for her goth glam style and her involvement in charitable causes.