Beetlejuice 2 stars Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder are showing great camaraderie during promotions which has won fans over. Ortega and Ryder are promoting their film at the Venice Film Festival, where Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had its world premiere. During a moment on the red carpet that has gone viral, Ortega can be seen defending the Stranger Things star against a rude paparazzi request.
In the Tim Burton sequel, Ortega plays the daughter, Astrid Deetz, of Ryder’s Lydia Deetz, the previous film’s protagonist. It was clear from the press junkets of the film that the Wednesday actress has clearly impressed her senior co-stars. Ryder and Michael Keaton only had great things to say about Ortega.
Jenna Ortega Protects Winona Ryder From Paparazzi Like A Boss
Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder appear to be enjoying the friendship between them, but they hardly seem like actresses who want to be in front of paparazzi cams. Ryder and Ortega graced the red carpet of the Venice Film Festival in attires that closely resembled their gothic look from Beetlejuice 2. Ortega was even spotted wearing Lydia Deetz’s iconic wedding dress from the original film.
During a photocall at the film festival, Ryder wore black sunglasses to match her black attire. In a video shared by ET on Instagram, one paparazzi photographer called out to the Girl, Interrupted actress, “Without sunglasses.” Ryder was unsure about whether to remove them or not, but Ortega came to her rescue.
Ortega assured her on-screen mom that it was totally fine to keep her sunglasses on. The Scream V actress could be heard telling Ryder, “No, you don’t have to.” When the video went viral and was shared to other platforms like X, fans poured in their love for Ortega for defending Ryder.
Fans shared that they loved this friendship between the actresses. One fan mentioned how they felt that Jenna Ortega had been a safe space for Winona Ryder throughout the promotions. Some of the fan reactions read:
I’ve been watching their press junket videos on YouTube and it’s obvious that Jenna Ortega has been such a safe space for Winona.
— PIERRE KING (@heypierreking) August 29, 2024
Love that camaraderie.
thank you jenna ortega because THEE winona ryder shouldn’t listen to some flop paparazzi.
— poppy 🦋 (@imnotpopbase) August 29, 2024
jenna is literally the sweetest and realest star rn 😭❤️
— naomi ✨ (@iamnaaomixx) August 29, 2024
I love Jenna Ortega, her vibe is Jûst different
— Big J (@excelduru) August 29, 2024
This is so sweet 🥹 Winona Ryder has been in the industry for so long and has likely gotten used to pressure like this. Jenna is such a lovely young lady. Wishing her the best, both of them!
— The Visual (@the_visual1133) August 30, 2024
According to the plot of the film, Ortega’s Astrid discovers the mysterious model of the town in the Deetz family house’s attic (via Deadline). She accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife and comes face to face with the mischievous demon Beetlejuice / Betelgeuse, played by Michael Keaton.
Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega Formed A Special Bond On Beetlejuice 2 Set
During her recent interview with the LA Times, Winona Ryder praised Jenna Ortega’s knowledge of films. While her other young co-stars in other projects were less interested in films, Ortega was different. Ryder recalled how she “almost wept” when the Miller’s Girl actress referenced specific shots from Mikhail Kalatozov’s I Am Cuba while filming Beetlejuice 2.
Ryder shared with Access Hollywood that she had formed an almost instant special bond with Ortega. Ryder shared, “It was very beautiful. I’ve never bonded with someone [like that.] We have this same reverence for film.” Interestingly, Ortega, too, found Ryder as a “mentor” figure.
During her appearance on The Interview podcast for The New York Times, Ortega shared that Ryder was “so warm and welcoming and kind and inviting right from the jump.” She added that her interaction with Ryder came at a time when her career was taking a different turn and she needed advice from somebody who could relate to her.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opened to favorable reviews at the Venice Film Festival. The film will hit theaters in the US on September 6, 2024.
