I truly believe that Jenna might be the most charismatic person on the planet. I’ve never seen anything like it, and the level of charm she posses is just surreal. Watching these interviews brings me so much joy and that is such a strange thing for me. I love that we’re going to see tons more from her in the future on both shows, movies and interviews, because she’s just such a star, the likes of which I’ve never seen. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the newest mega-star has arrived, and I’ve never been so invested.
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Jenna Marie Ortega was born September 27, 2002 in La Quinta, a city in the Coachella Valley, California. Her father Edward, a former sheriff, works in the California district attorney’s office, and is of Mexican descent. Her mother Natalie, an ER nurse, is of mixed Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. Jenna has five brothers and sisters—Isaac (b. 1998), Mariah (b. 1999), Mia (b. 2000), and twins Markus and Aaliyah (b. 2004).
Jenna expressed an interest in acting at age six, after seeing Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire. Jenna wanted to become the Puerto Rican version of Dakota Fanning. When Jenna was nine, her mother bought her a monologue book, and posted a video to Facebook of Jenna acting out a selection from the book. She titled it, “My Little Drama Queen”. A casting director noticed the video and signed her to an agency.
Over the next year, Jenna’s mother spent up to five days a week driving Jenna to auditions. Because Jenna had no connection to the film making community, they concentrated on commercials. Jenna landed parts in twelve national ad campaigns, including three for McDonalds.
Jenna began landing more significant parts until she was cast as Harley Diaz, the lead character in the Disney show Stuck in the Middle.
Jenna is becoming part of the growing cadre of Latina actresses in Hollywood who are showcasing their multifaceted nature, proving they are more than their origins. Jenna should not be pigeonholed into auditioning solely for Latinx roles; her talent is versatile. Whether it’s a horror, drama, comedy or even romance, Jenna embodies her roles with finesse, representing her community with pride.
Jenna’s complete TV, video, movie, stage, voice acting and writing career are listed in their respective sections on this site, along with videos. Feel free to browse!
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