Jenna Ortega Had an ‘Existential Crisis’ Before Age 20
At age 20, Jenna Ortega already has an impressive resume. A former child actor, the California native has been performing since she was nine years old. Ortega got her start in commercials before she was cast in TV shows like Jane the Virgin and Stuck in the Middle. Following her stint on the Disney Channel, Ortega has begun to earn her reputation as a screen queen, starring in projects like Scream and, most recently, Wednesday. But focusing so heavily on her career may have contributed to Ortega having an existential crisis.
Jenna Ortega experienced an existential crisis at a very young age
Ortega is the first to admit that she is very lucky. She doesn’t take for granted that she’s gotten to work on some incredible projects like the Netflix series You or the film The Fallout. However, her substantial CV didn’t prevent her from feeling anxious about leaving behind her teenage years in September of 2022. While speaking with Who What Wear, Ortega admitted that part of her wished she’s spent her teenage years differently.
“It’s weird because I’m having that internal existential crisis because I’m turning 20 soon, and I’m no longer going to be a teenager,” Ortega admitted. “It’s freaking me out because I do partially feel like I wasted my teenage years or could’ve been better about them—to be completely vulnerable and honest.”
The actor was worried she could be fired after she joined the ‘Jane the Virgin’ cast
A perfectionist, Ortega spent a lot of her teenage years hyperfocused on getting everything just right. In fact, this seems to be a trait that she had even before entering adolescence. A good example of this is when she was cast in Jane the Virgin at age 11. Though she was excited by the job opportunity, she put immense pressure on herself to always be professional and nail all of her scenes. She quickly recognized that she looked like the show’s lead, Gina Rodriguez, and felt that if she wasn’t doing her absolute best at all times, she was in danger of losing the role.
Ortega is trying to embrace a new perspective as she gets older
Ortega’s penchant for perfection in her work easily bled into her teenage years. However, in retrospect, she wishes she had a bit more of the recklessness that teenagers are known for. That said, Ortega is learning to look ahead to her future with more hope. Since she’s been 20 for a while now, perhaps the existential crisis has passed. Certainly, she’s making efforts to shift her perspective.
“Sometimes, I took myself too seriously or was unable to relax, and it’s part of the reason why I’m a very quiet-minded individual,” Ortega shared. “I need to be better about that, but I think that’s the beauty of growing up because you’re going to make a lot of mistakes and do a lot of things wrong. I’m definitely a pessimist, but I’m trying to be more optimistic about the fact that there’s much more to be learned, and I want to learn it all.”
