Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Jenna Ortega Says She Skipped Eating, Drinking as Child Actor
Jenna Ortega is an actress who plays Wednesday in a TV show.
When she was a little girl, she started working in movies and TV shows.
She recently told a magazine that she made a big mistake back then.
She said she sometimes went the whole day without eating or drinking.
She did this because she did not want to bother the adults on the set.
She was so grateful for the job that she never wanted to interrupt anyone.
Now she thinks that was wrong because she did not take care of herself.
Many people online were worried when they heard her story.
They said grown-ups should look after children who act.
Jenna's parents always made sure she still went to school and got good grades.
Jenna Ortega said she sometimes went all day without eating or drinking as a child actor because she did not want to get in anyone's way on set.
She revealed the habit during a quick-fire interview with Esquire on August 11, describing it as a possible "rookie mistake" from her first set.
Ortega said looking back, the mistake may have been "not actually looking after myself," and her comments sparked online concern about adult responsibility toward child actors.
In a 2024 New York Times interview, she called child acting "strange" and said "children aren't supposed to be working like that."
Ortega's parents prioritized her childhood, requiring public school attendance and straight A grades, while her mother made frequent trips to Los Angeles for auditions.
- Who
- Actress Jenna Ortega, known for Wednesday, Scream and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
- What
- Revealed that as a child actor she sometimes went all day without eating or drinking to avoid inconveniencing anyone on set
- When
- During a quick-fire interview with Esquire on August 11
- Where
- Her comments came via Esquire; her childhood auditions involved travel between the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles
- Why
- She was grateful and excited to be working and did not want to get in anyone's way or interrupt the crew
- Actor
- Jenna Ortega
- Known for
- Wednesday, Scream, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Iron Man 3, Disney's Stuck in the Middle
- Interview
- Esquire, August 11
- Acting start
- Iron Man 3 at age nine
- Parents' rules
- Public school, straight A grades, sleep and schoolwork prioritized
- Mother
- Emergency room nurse with five other children
- Audition travel
- Coachella Valley to Los Angeles four or five times a week, six- or seven-hour round trip
- Previous remarks
- Called child acting "strange" in a 2024 New York Times interview