Jenna Ortega reveals she once went entire days without food or water on set, desperate to never feel like she was “in the way” as a child star. Jenna Ortega has been working since childhood, building her career through television, voice acting, and increasingly demanding film roles. From Stuck in the Middle to Wednesday, she learned to perform under constant attention while still growing up. Yet the experience was not entirely glamorous.

Behind the discipline and success, Ortega says she sometimes stayed hungry and thirsty on set.

During an interview with Esquire, Jenna Ortega reflected on the “game face” she adopted as a young performer. She believed that making no mistakes and asking for nothing would prove her gratitude and professionalism.

“I wasn’t asking for a sip of water,” she recalled. “I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.” 

Ortega told Esquire that her determination began early. She said she was seven when she first told her parents that acting was what she wanted to pursue, and their initial laughter only strengthened her resolve. Her early credits included roles in Jane the Virgin, Richie Rich, You, and Elena of Avalor before she led Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle at 13.

“I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on,” she said. Looking back, Ortega now recognizes that her discipline came at a cost. She described avoiding basic requests because she feared becoming an inconvenience on set, then admitted that failing to care for herself may have been her real mistake.

“Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself.” 

Jenna Ortega Sheds Light on The Strange Future 'Wednesday' Built for Her, That She Never Saw for Herself

That childhood discipline continues to inform Ortega’s career today, especially as Wednesday prepares to push its story into unfamiliar territory.

For the latest season of Netflix's Wednesday talks of a time jump remains unconfirmed. The gaps between seasons could eventually make such a move practical as Jenna Ortega and the rest of the cast grow older, but Netflix has not announced that Season 3 will leave the teenage Nevermore timeline. The confirmed development is a broader focus on Addams family history.

Eva Green’s casting as Ophelia, Morticia’s previously unseen sister, gives Wednesday a new mystery to investigate. Netflix has teased family secrets, suggesting that the next chapter could expand beyond the school setting and explore the forces that shaped the Addams family. Production is reportedly taking place in Ireland under the codename “Briarcliff,” a codename associated with the Season 3 shoot.

Netflix has also revealed an image of Wednesday in Paris, hinting at a setting beyond Nevermore. That combination gives the upcoming season plenty of room to expand Wednesday’s world while preserving the character audiences already know. A time jump could eventually allow Ortega to portray a more mature version of the character, but that remains speculation until Netflix confirms it.

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What do you think about Jenna Ortega’s experience as a child actor and the direction Wednesday could take next? Let us know in the comments.