Jenna Ortega Discusses Her Fears as a Young Woman in Hollywood on Vogue Cover

Jenna Ortega felt in the past she did not have as much power as she does now.

While talking to September issue of Vogue México and Latin America this month, the 22-year-old actress – whose has Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage – said she used to not feel heard.

The Hollywood veteran was oppressed early in her career, before her smash hit TV series Wednesday hit screens.

For many years the former child star did not have a voice on set, she told the publication, and that ‘terrified’ her.

‘I’ve always known what it feels like not to have a voice, and that terrifies me. I don’t ever want to be in that situation again,’ she said after stating: ‘Being young and assertive is intense for a lot of people, especially as a woman.’

Ortega does not reveal which project made her feel like she did not have voice. Ortega’s career began with roles in Jane the Virgin and Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle, but those may not be the shows she was referring to/

She added, ‘Now I just want to make sure I use my voice in the most professional, efficient and kind way possible.’

These days she is a mix of ‘stubborn’ when it comes to her work ethic and ‘cautious’ when dealing with fame which strikes her as ‘very strange.’

‘I used to be a very extroverted child, but I’ve become more reserved. It doesn’t mean something negative, It just means I choose my words carefully,’ she said.

And she feels that the character that made her famous would not enjoy her fame. 

‘It’s funny because Wednesday would hate all this attention and obsession—appearing on cereal boxes and T-shirts is so unusual for her,’ Ortega said.

‘I also think the world of celebrity is very strange. The glorification of someone you’ll never truly know fascinates me, and I’m happy to question it anytime.’

Ortega also touched on growing up in a Spanish community in Indio, California.

Her father is of Mexican descent, and her mother is of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.

‘It’s a fundamental part of who I am. These things don’t disappear or change,’ she said about growing up Latina.

‘I’m very close to my family and my upbringing. I’m from California, so my community, mostly Latino, was my childhood. It’s simply what I know.’

Ortega said there is ‘a lot of pressure’ when it comes to meeting the expectations of Latino audiences.

‘Sometimes it feels brutal, but then you go home and remember what it’s about. You meet a young Chicana in a grocery store, she hugs you, you talk with her mother, and you see how meaningful it can be for people,’ noted the star.

And there is a struggle: she does not speak Spanish as fluently as she wishes. 

‘I’m very insecure when I speak Spanish,’ admitted the close pal of Catherine Zeta-Jones.

‘Even though I feel proud and I know who I am, my upbringing and my story with my culture, I think I’ve seen some frustration for not having grown up in a Spanish-speaking country,’ she said.

‘It’s difficult for me not being able to speak Spanish fluently, and I try. I speak with my dad in Spanish, I write, I read, but I’m very insecure when I speak and I don’t want to offend anyone. That’s been a very delicate point for me.’

When promoting her film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2024, a Latina journalist said, ‘You are Latina enough.’ 

The moment went viral, because so many Latin woman feel they are not enough. ‘I’ll always be proud, always curious, and always learning,’ she said. ‘Even if my experience is not everyone’s, I know where I come from.’

Ortega has also been in the films Scream VI and X.