Maddie Ziegler Thought Acting Opposite Jenna Ortega Was ‘Scary’

It would be fair to say that Maddie Ziegler grew up in the spotlight. She was only 8 years old when she was cast on the hit Lifetime reality TV series, Dance Moms. From there, Ziegler’s penchant for executing complicated narratives through dance led her to other huge opportunities. From starring in music videos with Sia to judging So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation to collaborating with Morphe 2 to becoming an author, Ziegler has been a working professional for years. But despite her resume, she was nervous to act alongside Jenna Ortega.

Jenna Ortega has been acting for much longer than Maddie Ziegler

Like Ziegler, Ortega also grew up in the entertainment industry. The California native caught the acting bug at 6 and begged her parents to let her pursue it. After they relented, she starred in shows like Jane The Virgin and was the lead on the Disney Channel Show, Stuck in the Middle. After her tenure with the mouse house, Ortega was able to make the leap to more mature projects like You and Yes Day.

The ‘Dance Moms’ alum had fears about working with the ‘Wednesday’ star

Though Ziegler has been working for years, acting is a newer venture for her. So when she was cast in The Fallout with Ortega, she experienced no small amount of fear. The Bloody Hell actor knew Ortega had much more experience, and she was a bit intimidated by her. While speaking with NYLON, Ziegler got candid about the fears she had before going into filming.

“I was very nervous going into working with her just because I’m a fan of her work,” Ziegler shared about Ortega. “She’s so experienced. She knows what the hell she’s doing and I was like, “Sh*t, this is a lot, this is scary going into this and working alongside her,’ but she made it so safe and fun for me to come into work every day. There was no intimidation. She really was like, ‘I’ll guide you and we’ll be there together.’ It was really fun. Even though the material was heavy, offscreen, we had such a good time.”

Ortega and Ziegler remained close friends even after they finished filming ‘The Fallout’

Turns out that Ziegler wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Ortega has expressed similar sentiments about working with the dancer. According to the Wednesday star, she didn’t know what it would be like to work with someone who achieved so much success at such a young age. Fortunately, the pair hit it off right away and are still close today, years after filming for The Fallout wrapped.

Ziegler has also shared that she learned quite a bit from working with Ortega. In fact, the former reality TV star often channels Ortega’s fearlessness when she auditions for new projects. “She’s’ the coolest person ever, I genuinely love her so much,” Ziegler claimed about Ortega. “She has become one of my really close friends, and I’m honored that I got to work with her.”