Jenna Marie Ortega was born on September 27, 2002, in Coachella Valley, California. Jenna began acting at the age of nine and has portrayed the role of Harley, a creative engineering prodigy navigating life as the middle child in a family of seven children, in “Stuck in the Middle,” a Disney Channel series told from Harley’s perspective.
Jenna Marie Ortega
Is known not only for her stellar performance in multiple Disney productions but for her roles in many award-winning movies and television series, such as her portrayal of Young Jane in The CW Television Network’s iconic comedy-drama “Jane the Virgin,” and Darcy in the 2015 Netflix sitcom, “Richie Rich.” In 2020, she co-starred as Phoebe in the horror sequel The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020). Restless in her profession, Jenna is accountable for more than 15 television staples and blockbuster films to date, commonly accepting lead roles.
Daughter of Mixed Mexican and Puerto Rican parents, Ortega makes it very clear to her audience that she is proud of her heritage and grateful for having the opportunity to share her culture with the world. In a 2016 Pop Sugar interview, Jenna conveys that succeeding in the American film industry as a Latina was an uphill battle, throttled by subjective casting and strict ethnic guidelines followed in the early 2000s. Despite this difficulty, Ortega did not let cultural barriers and prejudice hinder her progress as a rising star.
Working with the most prestigious studios in the film industry, Jenna Ortega has achieved a high status in her profession and gilded her family name for generations to come.
Influence & Acting Style
Ortega has stated that she feels taking more varied roles in acting is important to her, so as to not be typecast; she told E! Online in 2021 that she did not want to be “pigeonholed as an actor,” and that her desire to “do the most diverse roles that I possibly can and really switch up” made the transition to mature roles easier for her. She has said that horror works are what she feels most comfortable with starring in, telling Rotten Tomatoes in 2022 that she was “pretty comfortable with all the horror stuff”.
In an interview with Collider, Ortega said that she was initially inspired to pursue acting after watching the performance of actress Dakota Fanning in the 2004 thriller film Man on Fire, stating that “After watching Dakota, who obviously was so talented from such a young age, I decided that I wanted to be the Puerto Rican version of her.”She also said that she thought Denzel Washington was “the coolest man I had ever seen in my life.”Ortega also cites actress Gina Rodriguez, whom she worked with on the television drama Jane The Virgin, as one of her major influences. She stated that she admires Rodriguez for her story being similar to hers, and for her efforts and ability.