Jenna Ortega has already proved herself as a Hollywood star, with her acting career starting when she was 11 years old in Iron Man 3 and Insidious: Chapter 2. She moved on to a couple of Disney roles before getting into more mature roles, proving she’s a diverse and capable actress. Excelling in horror films, Ortega has quickly become this generation’s scream queen, or you may know her as Wednesday in the Netflix series. Below are the six best Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows that showcase her career.
6. Stuck in the Middle (2016-2018)
Starting our list of Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows is Stuck in the Middle. Ortega prepared a lot to land her role in the series, and was excited when she succeeded. The Disney show was similar to Malcolm in the Middle, where Ortega was the middle child of seven, Harley Diaz. Harley is a child inventor, creating quirky gadgets to deal with her massive family. Ortega’s craftiness and comedy did her well in the series, landing her future roles.
5. Jane the Virgin (2014-2019)
Fifth on our list of Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows is Jane the Virgin. Ortega plays a young Jane in the series, appearing in around 30 episodes as a 10-year-old, and is the most frequent “young Jane” in the series. This was Ortega’s breakthrough role, landing her Stuck in the Middle and proving her maturity through her performance, and evading the child actor trap.
4. Scream VI (2023)
Next on our list of Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows is Scream VI. Ortega also appeared in Scream V, but her performance within the sixth installment of the franchise was among her best performances. She plays Tara Carpenter, sister to Sam (Melissa Barrera). It’s one year after the events of the fifth film, and Tara and her college friends are attacked by Ghostface once again. Ortega becomes the star of the show, proving her title as a scream queen.
3. The Fallout (2022)
Rounding out the top three Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows is The Fallout. In one of Ortega’s more serious roles, she plays Vada, a high school girl. When she goes into the school bathroom to help her little sister, a shooting in the school occurs, with around a dozen students killed. After, Vada must deal with her emotions surrounding the shooting, becoming isolated and struggling with anxiety, panic, and PTSD, and trying to cope with everything in self-destructive ways.
2. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Second on our list of Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder reprised their roles as Betelgeuse, Delia, and Lydia Deetz, with Ortega joining in as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid. Astrid and Lydia’s relationship becomes the focus of the film as they struggle to connect, with Ortega praised for her performance. This was also the second time Ortega worked with Tim Burton, proving how well they work together.
1. Wednesday (2022-Present)
Last but not least on our list of Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows is Wednesday. In one of her most recent and well-known roles, Ortega plays spooky Wednesday Addams as she moves away from home to attend Nevermore Academy, her parents’ alma mater. The school is designed for “outcasts” in society, with many wielding special powers, like Wednesday and her psychic abilities. The series follows Wednesday as she navigates school, her family, and looming mysteries in both seasons so far.