SatSep 27

Featured

TV Actress

Jenna Ortega

September 27, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Jenna Ortega was born on September 27, 2002, in Coachella Valley. She discovered her love for acting at an early age. Her mother was an actor and her father a businessman, and we are all forever grateful that the young star decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps! She joined the acting world at the tender age of nine when she debuted in the T.V. series “Rob.” From here on, the child star found herself playing more acclaimed roles. One of her biggest was when she played the young Jane in the very popular T.V. show “Jane the Virgin.” When she was younger, she was also a Disney star, having portrayed Harley Diaz in the very popular T.V. show “Stuck in the Middle.” Since then, she’s gone on to star in numerous series and movies, but it was her role as the titular character in the Netflix show, “Wednesday” that catapulted her into stardom. For her role as Wednesday, she was nominated for a 2023 Golden Globe and, due to the show’s immense success, it was announced in 2023 that there’s going to be a second season. As we celebrate her birthday, we are so excited to share more about how this actress, singer-songwriter, and model rose to fame!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Jenna Marie Ortega

Nickname:

ReeRee

Birth date:

September 27, 2002

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Libra

Height:

5' 1"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$8 million

Background

Jenna Ortega was born on September 27, 2002, in Coachella Valley. She was born into a large family and is one of six siblings. The young star began to take an interest in acting at the age of only five, and when her mother realized it was more than just the fleeting dream of a young girl, her parents decided to get in touch with agents to ensure she could pursue this career. Over the next few years, her love of acting continued to grow, and she honed her skill, hoping for her chance at a big break. This break came in 2012 when the young actress was just nine years old — she was cast to play a role in the sitcom “Rob.” In the same year, she was also cast in one episode of “CSI: NY” as Aimee Moore, making it a massive year for the young star!

In 2013, Ortega rose to the big screen when she was cast in the blockbuster hit “Iron Man 3” Not only was this a big step forward in her career, but it also allowed her to connect with and learn from some of the biggest names in the business. This movie was a resounding success and was the year’s second-highest-grossing film, a huge achievement for such a young actress! 2014 was another big year for young Ortega, and she was cast in many different T.V. shows, including “The Massively Mixed-Up Middle School Mystery” and the very popular “Jane the Virgin.”

Over the next few years, as her popularity grew, the star was seen in many more different shows. Another big development in the actress’s career was in 2016 when she was cast as “Harley Diaz” in Disney Channel’s sitcom “Stuck in the Middle.” The actress continued to grow, and in 2019, she was cast in Netflix’s renowned series “You” in the second season. Additionally, she played the popular character, Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s “Wednesday.” The show was met with critical acclaim and, in 2023, it was announced that there would be a second season. For her role, she was nominated for the 2023 Golden Globe for “Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series” but the award went to Quinta Brunson. She also played a supporting role as Tara Carpenter in the movies Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023).

In September 2023, rumors spread about a romance with veteran actor Johnny Depp, which both Ortega and Depp laughed off as ridiculous. We have watched this young actress blossom over the last few years, watching her grow up from behind the screens, and we cannot wait to see what she does next.

Jennifer Ortega Movies and TV Shows

Movie or TV Show	Year	Character
Wednesday	2022	Wednesday Addams
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous	2020-2022	Brooklyn
Big City Greens	2019-2022	Gabriella Espinosa
American Carnage	2022	Camilla
X	2022	Lorraine
Studio 666	2022	Skye Willow
Scream	2022	Tara Carpenter
The Fallout	2021	Vada Cavell
Yes Day	2021	Katie Torres
The Babysitter: Killer Queen	2020	Phoebe
Elena of Avalor	2016-2020	Princess Isabel
Home Movie: The Princess Bride	2020	Princess Buttercup
You	2019	Ellie Alves
Wyrm	2019	Suzie
Jane The Virgin	2014-2019	Young Jane
Stuck In The Middle	2016-2018	Harley Diaz
Richie Rich	2015	Darcy
Know It All Nina	2014-2015	Nina
Rake	2014	Zoe Leon
Iron Man 3	2013	Vice President’s daughter

Career timeline

2012

Her Debut Sitcom Role

The actress debuts and plays a minor role in the series “Rob.”

2013

Her Big Screen Debut

Ortega plays the role of the Vice President’s daughter in “Iron Man 3,” which turns out to be the second-highest-grossing film of the year.

2014

“Jane the Virgin”

Ortega portrays the young Jane in “Jane the Virgin,” a role she is well-known for.

2016

“Stuck in the Middle”

Ortega plays Harley Diaz, the protagonist of Disney Channel’s “Stuck in the Middle.”

2019

“You”

Ortega is cast in a major role, playing Ellie Alves in the second season of the Netflix thriller series “You.”

2022

"Wednesday"

Ortega stars in the Netflix show as the titular character — it's an immense success.

2022

"Scream"

She plays the character, Tara Carpenter, in the franchise.

2022

A Golden Globe Nominee

She is nominated for the 2023 Golden Globe for "Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series" for "Wednesday."

Why We Love Jenna Ortega

She is an advocate for the Pride Over Prejudice campaign
Ortega is a big advocate for equality. She worked on DoSomething.org’s Pride Over Prejudice campaign, which stands in solidarity with refugees and immigrants.
She is proudly Latina
As one of the few successful Latina actresses in Hollywood, Ortega takes great pride in her heritage. She even supports other up-and-coming Latina actresses.
She is partnered with many charity organizations
A few of these organizations include the National Bullying Prevention Center, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and the Geena Davis Institute. She advocates for a lot of positive change, and this is exactly what the world needs.

5 Surprising Facts

She enjoys spending time with her dogs
While she is not in front of the camera, Ortega says she enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Brooklyn and Anna.
The performance that inspired her
At the age of six, she watched "Man on Fire" starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning, and Fanning's performance inspired her to act.
Her favorite Disney movie
Growing up as a Disney star on “Stuck in the Middle,” it is interesting to know that the young star's favorite Disney movie is “The Lion King!”
One of her favorite series
Ortega is a big fan of the hit T.V. series “Stranger Things” — but aren't we all?
She wants to direct or produce movies
While we love to see her on-screen, Ortega hopes to one day become a director or producer!

Jenna Ortega FAQs

Why can't Jenna Ortega be on TikTok?

While the actress has a TikTok account and has gained millions of followers, she has stated that good or bad, the social media platform doesn’t seem like a healthy place to be.