Jenna Ortega

Ortega uses her platforms on social media to promote support towards immigrants and politics involving them. Her fashion sense has received significant attention, with many praising her for her various attire and her general outlook, and in 2020 the magazine Hola! dubbed her the “red carpet darling” in recognition of her style.

In January 2019, Ortega had been cast in the main role of Ellie Alves, the sister of Delilah Alves, on the second season of the Netflix thriller series You, which was released on December 26, 2019. In You, her character is a smart and meddling girl who likes to act older than her true age. The season, alike to the show’s first season, was well received. Ortega will next star as a main role in the upcoming-comedy movie Yes Day, slated to release in 2020. In October 2019, she was cast in a role on the upcoming Netflix horror film The Babysitter 2, for which the release date is yet to be announced. In February 2020, it was announced that she will lead the upcoming Netflix high-school drama film The Fallout.

Ortega is a supporter of Pride Over Prejudice, a campaign that promotes acceptance towards the LGBT community. She has also stated that she is against anti-immigration and discrimination. Ortega told Teen Vogue: “It’s important to embrace your culture today because there are so many different ethnicities in America. At the end of the day, you are you. You’ve got to stay true to yourself, and you can’t change yourself in order to fit in or to make someone else feel comfortable.”

Across 2019, Ortega appeared at numerous WE Day concerts across the United States and Canada to benefit WE Charity.

In 2018, at the Radio Disney Music Awards, Ortega wore a jacket, which displayed the words “I Do Care And U Should Too” in response to first lady Melania Trump’s apparel when she went to visit immigrant children who were being housed without their parents, which said “I Really Don’t Care. Do U?”. The stand gained significant media coverage. Ortega told Forbes: “I remember I was going through the news on my phone and I saw what Melania wore on the way to visit the immigrant children. I was so deeply offended and right there at that moment I knew what I wanted my statement to be…”

In 2017, she starred in the music video for the single “Chapstick”, which was performed by and also stars Jacob Sartorius. In the video, Ortega played Sartorius’s love interest, which managed to gain significant media coverage. In 2018, Ortega starred in the film Saving Flora as the lead role of Dawn, the daughter of a circus owner. The film was critically acclaimed, and for her performance, she received an award nomination at the Southampton International Film Festival.

From 2016 to 2018, Ortega then went on to star on the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle as Harley Diaz, the lead role of the show, the character being the middle child of the seven Diaz siblings, throughout the show’s run. The show was well received, and Ortega received an Imagen Award for her performance, as well as being nominated for two others. In the same year, she joined the cast on Disney’s Elena of Avalor, as the voice of Princess Isabel. This role earned her another Imagen Award nomination in 2019.

Ortega 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. Ortega told magazine Latina in 2016: “I look up to Gina Rodriguez because, like me, she did not have a connection to the business, we are both Latinas who do not come from money and did not have an easy way in. She speaks openly about the challenges of being a Latina actress and how Latin actors are not represented on screen the way they should be. She has proven that hard work pays off, and I admire that.”

In television, she portrayed Young Jane on The CW romantic comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin (2014–19), Harley Diaz on the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle (2016–18), and Ellie Alves on the Netflix thriller series You (2019). She currently voices Princess Isabel on the Disney Channel animated series Elena of Avalor (2016–present). Her works in film include starring as Annie in the supernatural horror film Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), as Mary Ann in the direct-to-video film The Little Rascals Save the Day (2014), and starring as Dawn in the drama film Saving Flora (2018).

In 2014, Ortega had a recurring role on the series Rake, playing Zoe Leon. In the same year, she was cast in the recurring role of the younger version of Jane on the romantic-drama series Jane the Virgin throughout the entirety of the show’s run. In the same year, she starred as Mary Ann in the direct-to-video comedy film The Little Rascals Save the Day. In the year following, Ortega was cast for the Netflix original series Richie Rich as part of the main cast, playing Darcy, Richie’s best friend. Her character was a gold digger, that would spend Richie’s money even without his consent. The show was panned, overall attaining generally negative reviews. In the same year, she appeared in the film After Words as Anna Chapa.

Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress and social media personality, who is best known for her work throughout television, as well as for having roles in various films.

Jenna Ortega was born on September 27, 2002 in Coachella Valley, California, the fourth of six children. Ortega’s father is of Mexican American descent and her mother is of Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry.