Back in 2019, Jenna Ortega said she wanted to "break away" from the Disney Channel mould [1] after working on "Stuck in the Middle." Over the past few years, it's safe to say she's done that and more. Most recently, Ortega starred in Netflix's "Wednesday [2]," the streamer's hit series based on the famous Addams Family character, which is now gearing up for a second season [3]. The newly dubbed Gen Z scream queen also stars in "Scream 6" following her stellar performance as Tara Carpenter in the 2022 version of "Scream," aka "Scream 5."
But before Ortega's stint as the Addams Family's oldest child and her latest movie role, she worked hard to carve her name into the thriller-horror genre with other projects like "The Babysitter: Killer Queen," "You," "Studio 666," and A24's "X." As a former-Disney-star-turned-horror-actor [4], Ortega told POPSUGAR in December 2019, "My goal in acting was I never wanted to be pigeonholed into a certain character type."
It seems the actor is sticking to that motto with her next film project: her first rom-com, which she also produced, titled "Winter Spring Summer or Fall." Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Ortega actually isn't a big fan of rom-coms. "I hate being googoogaga over a boy," she told Elle [5] in her April 2023 cover story. "I think it's secretly a pride thing. It's a problem with a lot of female characters, that a lot of them are guy oriented or what they're expressing or emoting is based on a guy's position and a guy's story."
Throughout Ortega's decade-long career in Hollywood (she's only 20, by the way), the actor has proven she's a jack of all trades. One moment she'll be playing the role of an innocent teenager ("Yes Day"), and the next she's hunting dinosaurs ("Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous") or chasing down a murder suspect while writing her own murder mysteries as Wednesday. Overall, it's clear that Ortega is just getting started.
Keep reading to see all of Ortega's major movie and TV roles so far.
— Additional reporting by Emily Weaver and Eden Arielle Gordon
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Jane the Virgin"
Jenna Ortega's breakout role was her five-season recurring role as the young version of Jane Villanueva on The CW's beloved comedy "Jane the Virgin." She played Jane in flashbacks throughout all five seasons of the show.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Richie Rich"
"You" wasn't Jenna Ortega's first major role on a Netflix show. Back in 2015, she was one of the main characters on the reboot of "Richie Rich," playing Richie's luxury-loving best friend Darcy. The show wasn't successful and ended after just one season.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Stuck in the Middle"
Jenna Ortega snagged her first fully-fledged leading role on this Disney Channel sitcom "Stuck in the Middle," where she played Harley Diaz, the middle child of seven siblings. The show ran from 2016 to 2018, earning Ortega three Imagen Award nominations, one of which she won.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Elena of Avalor"
Beginning in 2016 and continuing to the present day, Jenna Ortega has voiced the character of Princess Isabel on the Disney animated series "Elena of Avalor." She plays the clever younger sister of the teenage princess Elena, Disney's first Latina princesses.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Saving Flora"
The little-seen drama "Saving Flora" features Jenna Ortega as the teenage daughter of a circus owner who rescues an ageing elephant from being euthanised. The two run away into the forest, where they encounter dangers on their way to an elephant preserve.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "You"
"You" season two would not exist without Ortega's character, Ellie Alves. With no parents and an older sister who's MIA half the time, Ellie is basically raising herself. She's rough around the edges and not afraid to put Joe Goldberg, her new neighbour, in his place. Though Ellie's storyline is intermingled with several key main characters in season two, she doesn't appear in "You" season three or four.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "The Babysitter: Killer Queen"
Following the major success and cult fandom of "The Babysitter," Netflix dropped "The Babysitter: Killer Queen" in 2020. The horror sequel features Ortega as a pregnant high school student who may or may not have murdered her parents. She develops a friendship with the film's main character, Cole.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Yes Day"
Ortega stars as the onscreen daughter of Édgar Ramírez and Jennifer Garner [7] in the Netflix family comedy "Yes Day." At 14 years old, she's the eldest of her siblings and wishes her parents would finally treat her like a grown-up.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "The Fallout"
"The Fallout" has become a defining moment in Ortega's career. Her teenaged character, Vada, miraculously survives a school shooting by hiding in a bathroom stall. The film unfolds from there, showcasing how Vada copes with trauma.
"Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous"
Since its 2020 debut, Ortega has voiced the character of Brooklynn on Netflix's animated series "Jurassic World Camp: Cretaceous." She plays one of six teens who win a trip to Camp Cretaceous, a new adventure camp near Isla Nublar. Little do these campers know dinosaurs are taking over the island. Season five [8] hit Netflix in the summer of 2022.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Scream"
Ortega was one of the many fresh faces [9] in the fifth instalment of the Scream franchise. Her character, Tara, is a student at Woodsboro High, and is unsettlingly linked to Ghostface's true identity [10]. She has reprised her role in the sixth Scream movie [11], out in March 2023.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Big City Greens"
On "Big City Greens," Ortega is the voice of Gabriella. The Disney animated series is about Cricket Green and his family, who've just moved to a big city from a small rural town. Gabriella is Cricket's new love interest. According to Deadline [12], the show has been renewed for a fourth season and a Disney musical spinoff. It's unclear whether Ortega's character will appear in either one.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Studio 666"
Inspired by spooky true events, "Studio 666" follows Foo Fighters as they set up shop in an LA mansion to record their next rock album. Unbeknownst to them, the house is haunted. As recording gets underway, frontman Dave Grohl begins having run-ins with ghosts and other supernatural forces. Ortega has a minor role as a member of another band.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "X"
In this slasher horror film, Ortega takes on the role of a dutiful girlfriend named Lorraine. She agrees to tag along on her boyfriend's trip to small-town Texas, where he and several actors plan to make an adult film. Things take a turn for the worse when their hosts catch on to what they're doing.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "American Carnage"
Ortega stars as Camila in this horror flick about a group of children of undocumented immigrants who are told they can evade criminal charges by volunteering in a nursing home. It turns out that something far more sinister is afoot at the home, though, and the kids soon find themselves trying to escape a nefarious government-led plan.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows: "Wednesday"
Ortega plays the Addams Family's eldest daughter, Wednesday, in Netflix's interpretation of the iconic character's life as a teen. In the show, Wednesday takes up residence at the private school where her parents met, only to find herself embroiled in a supernatural murder investigation. Ortega is set to continue Wednesday's story in season two [13] of the Netflix series.
