Summary
-
Child’s Play
haunted Jenna Ortega for years, sparking her interest in horror films. - Ortega has become a modern horror icon, with roles in
Scream
and Tim Burton projects. - Her career path in horror, from
X
to
Wednesday
, shows she’s a natural scream queen.
Jenna Ortega reveals what horror movie scared her for years. In the past few years, Ortega has catapulted from a rising star to one of the most sought-after actors of her generation. The Netflix series Wednesday plays a huge part in this rise, as Ortega’s performance in the titular role garnered her massive praise, including an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Ortega’s stardom in the series will continue as Wednesday season 2 has been confirmed on Netflix, premiering in 2025.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Ortega now discusses what horror movie haunted her for years. Speaking about how she got invested in the horror genre, Ortega noted that the film Child’s Play terrified her. The first movie in the Chucky series, Ortega claims that Child’s Play “fucked [her] up for tears to come.” When she was a little bit older, she even forced herself to rewatch Child’s Play in order to face her fears. Even then, she shuddered at Child’s Play, but noted that she “was interested in something that scared” her. Check out the full quote from Ortega below:
“It fucked me up for years to come. I still was a massive scaredy cat, but I was interested in something that scared me.”
How Horror Factors Into Jenna Ortega’s Career
Jenna Ortega Has Become A Modern Horror Icon
Though Wednesday may be her most standout role, Ortega made a name for herself in horror before Wednesday was even released. She played Tara Carpenter in the 2022 Scream film, a role she reprised in the 2023 follow-up Scream VI. She also played a notable part in the Ti West horror film X, which has now been made into one of the more well-regarded horror franchises of the 2020s.
After X and the Scream movies, Ortega has transitioned into a more campy form of horror with her work with visionary director Tim Burton. This includes Wednesday, which has some scary themes but stays light enough to be much more spooky than it is genuinely spine-chilling. Burton’s Beetlejuice is in a similar vein, a franchise that Ortega enters through her upcoming performance as Astrid Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. If Ortega continues her working relationship with Burton, she is likely to receive more of those roles.
Given the path Ortega’s career has gone on in recent years, it makes sense that she would have been attracted to horror films as a child. Pre-dating the Scream franchise, Child’s Play kick-started one of the most iconic horror franchises to date. As Ortega continues the scream queen part of her career, perhaps she could even find herself taking part in one of the various Chucky movies and shows as the franchise continues today.
Source: VF
