At just 20 years old, Jenna Ortega has been acting in front of the camera for half her life, displaying a confidence befitting a well-established artist. Amid the success of her starring role as Merlina Addams in the recently released Netflix series, we take a look back at the young actress’ short but ambitious career.
Jenna Ortega, a rising star with Latin American roots
Born to parents of Mexican-Puerto Rican descent, she was the fourth of six children in a Mexican neighborhood of La Quinta, California in the Coachella Valley. From a young age, acting was her passion and television commercials were the first door that opened her way into the world of cameras and studios.
From the age of six she only wanted to be an actress and on the way to stardom her mother was one of the best accomplices. At the age of 9, she was spotted by a casting director thanks to a video her mother posted on Facebook. So, in less than a year, Ortega landed his first role on television, in the short comedy Rob, starring Rob Schneider.
A list of roles followed, including playing young Jane in Jane the Virgin at age 10 and a starring role as Harley Diaz on the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle at 12, who had to leave her eighth grade school for the whole of it to pursue his Disney dream.
Often the cliché of being a Disney teen star can work against those who want to make acting a long-term career. It was difficult for Jenna Ortega to leave the youthful image behind and achieve roles in more prestigious productions. The important thing is that the 20-year-old made it.
In 2018, she was cast in the second season of Netflix’s psychological thriller You alongside Penn Badgley. She then landed her first of several horror roles in 2020’s The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Her most notable role – ahead of starring on Netflix – came with The Fallout, which released in January, a film focusing on the aftermath of a Shooting concentrates a school. This was the first time Ortega had directed a film alongside acting.
Jenna Ortega shines with her interpretation of the new Merlina Addams
The centenarian actress is undoubtedly making it big as the newest scream queen of the era, slowly cementing her place as a Gen Z icon.
A year after streaming platform Netflix announced that the creepy and dark series is airing, we finally get to see protagonist Jenna Ortega’s work. The actress has already become a favorite with many in her signature Merlina Addams outfit – which includes the pigtails and black dress over a white blouse.
Without a doubt, the focus in this episode from acclaimed director Tim Burton is all on the daughter of the Addams family. The young adult series follows Merlina as she studies at the creepy Nevermore Academy when she discovers that she has psychic abilities.
The cranky and mischievous teenager will also be on a mission to save the city from a monstrous massacre while trying to unravel the mystery that implicated her parents 25 years ago.