Jenna Ortega rose to prominence following her titular role in Netflix’s Wednesday. Tim Burton’s show significantly changed the trajectory of Ortega’s career, as new opportunities started coming her way. Soon, the actress turned into the “scream queen” of Hollywood, as people began appreciating her soaked-in-blood, perfectionist roles.
But what if we tell you, that none of this would have been possible for Jenna Ortega, had she stuck by her initial decision? According to her interview with The Sunday Times, Ortega revealed passing on her breakthrough Wednesday role several times before ultimately taking it.
Jenna Ortega Initially Refused to Star in Wednesday
Jenna Ortega has been prevailing in the entertainment industry for a long time. Starting as a child actor in Disney’s Stuck in the Middle, Ortega later appeared in small roles in iconic projects like Jane the Virgin and in Penn Badgley’s You. However, despite her years of experience in Hollywood, Ortega was still struggling to land her breakthrough role.
That’s when the actress was offered the titular role in Tim Burton’s Wednesday. Narrating thrilling tales of Wednesday Addams and her life in Nevermore Academy, the Netflix original offered Jenna Ortega the pivotal role of Wednesday. But surprisingly, the actress rejected the opportunity repeatedly, as per her interview with The Sunday Times.
“I got the email, passed on it… I had done so much TV in my life, all I’ve ever wanted to do is film. I was scared that by signing on to another television show it could prevent me from doing other jobs I really wanted and cared about.”
Although Jenna Ortega’s appearance and performance in Wednesday opened new doors of opportunities, the actress was initially scared of being typecast in Hollywood. Stating her reasons and fears that drove her to reject the show, Ortega then mentioned what, or rather who, eventually changed her mind.
Tim Burton Convinced Ortega to Appear in the Show
Speaking with The Sunday Times, and stunning her fans and readers with her bombshell revelation, Jenna Ortega noted that there was no one to believe in her when she first started her acting career. Admitting how she had to prove herself at every step, Ortega noted rejecting Wednesday out of fear that the role might typecast her and she wouldn’t be able to achieve what she always fought for.
“When I first started acting, I don’t want to say nobody believed in me, but at the same time, nobody believed in me. You have to prove yourself. It’s only in the last three or four years that I’ve been able to start going up for film.”
But certainly, despite Jenna Ortega’s fear of being typecast, her role in the Netflix show propelled her to fame in the industry. Turning out to be her breakthrough role, Ortega finally mentioned who changed her mind for good. Crediting Tim Burton for believing in her and convincing her to appear in Wednesday, Ortega admitted being a fan of Burton and his works.
“The only reason I went back is because Tim [Burton, director and executive producer of Wednesday] is such a legend, and we just happened to get along very well. But even then I said, ‘Ah, no — I think I’m OK,’ a couple [more] times.”
Starring in Wednesday completely changed her life and career. Now Jenna Ortega has turned into the “scream queen” of Hollywood and even got nominated for a Golden Globe. Set to appear in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Ortega addressed how working with Burton had a major influence on her career that significantly changed her life for the better.
Wednesday is available on Netflix.
