Jenna Ortega Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED

In this interview, Jenna Ortega discusses her rise in Hollywood, headlined by her role as Wednesday Addams, which she approached with reverence while aiming to modernize the character. She shares personal stories, including bonding instantly with Maddie Ziegler, auditioning for Tim Burton still covered in fake blood from X, and learning the cello for the role. Ortega also reveals her journey from a childhood monologue to a casting connection, her current pescetarian diet after struggling with veganism in Romania, and her excitement for upcoming projects like Scream VI and Finest Kind. She warmly addresses the search term "Kenny Ortega's daughter," joking about wanting to be related to him while clarifying they met only once. The conversation highlights her grounded personality, early career lessons, and the blend of humor and professionalism that defines her path as a young star.

• ▶ 0:38 Jenna confirms she plays Wednesday Addams, noting the pressure of playing a character already portrayed "flawlessly" while trying to place Wednesday in a new world without straying too far.
• ▶ 1:18 She calls Maddie Ziegler one of her greatest friends, describing them as "the same person in different fonts" and sharing that they bonded instantly on The Fallout.
• ▶ 2:30 She reveals she was in New Zealand filming X, and recounts meeting Tim Burton for her Wednesday audition still covered in fake blood and prosthetics from her death scene—which made Burton laugh.
• ▶ 3:30 Jenna names Afterwards (with Marsha Gay Harden) as her first movie, and says it was also her first film set experience where she learned basic filmmaking roles and terms.
• ▶ 4:10 She answers “What is Jenna Ortega’s new movie?” by citing Finest Kind and Scream VI (“Scream Six — sixum”), describing the latter as the second installment of the rebooted franchise coming to theaters in March.
• ▶ 4:30 She says she just finished shooting Miller’s Girl in Atlanta and is currently promoting her Netflix show Wednesday — after joking that what she’s doing now is “This interview.”
• ▶ 5:24 Jenna got into acting after begging her mom for years; her mom bought her a monologue book, she performed a dramatic monologue, and a Facebook video led to a connection with a casting director.
• ▶ 6:30 She was vegan for a long time but stopped when she moved to Romania to film Wednesday, where she felt she wasn't meeting her nutritional needs; she now eats fish and is pescetarian.
• ▶ 7:03 She learned to play the cello specifically for Wednesday, starting practice about two months before filming began, and wants to continue pursuing it.
• ▶ 7:45 Jenna addresses the autocomplete search "Kenny Ortega's daughter," calling it beautiful and explaining she met Ortega a couple of years ago.
• ▶ 7:54 She jokes about wanting to be related to him—even calling him a cousin or uncle—while noting she only met him once, so calling a stranger "uncle" feels weird.
• ▶ 8:10 Jenna closes by saying this interview format is one of her preferred methods, thanking the interviewer for the weird, sometimes basic questions.

• ▶ 0:00 Intro & Early Autocomplete Questions (0:00 - 3:18) - Jenna Ortega introduces herself and answers autocomplete questions about her identity, roles, and stunts.
• ▶ 3:18 Movies and Upcoming Projects (3:18 - 4:48) - She covers her filmography, look, and upcoming projects like Scream VI and Miller's Girl.
• ▶ 4:48 Rapid-Fire Personal Questions (4:48 - 7:46) - Jenna answers personal questions about her career, height, diet, singing, cello, and dancing.
• ▶ 7:46 Kenny Ortega and Closing (7:46 - 8:22) - She discusses Kenny Ortega and wraps up the interview with thanks and a musical interlude.