Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega reveals ‘horrific’ pitfall of fame

She’s the star of Netflix’s most watched show of all time, but actress Jenna Ortega isn’t too fond of the attention that comes with it.

At just 22, Jenna Ortega has achieved an immense level of fame thanks to her starring role in Netflix’s most-watched show of all time.

But the Wednesday star, who is promoting the upcoming second season of the Tim Burton-directed thriller series, has revealed her struggle with the extreme attention that comes with the job.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter alongside Burton, Ortega was speaking about the much-discussed “death of the movie star” era, crediting this ideal to overexposure.

“We know too much,” Ortega said.

“And the people feel entitled to those bits and pieces of your life where if they were put under the same microscope, they wouldn’t feel nearly as comfortable.

“Sometimes you go out, and it’s a mess,” Ortega continued, adding she’s “always scared” when she gets recognised in the street.

US actress Jenna Ortega. Picture: Michael Tran/AFP

The star said she has had some “horrific” encounters with fans in public. Picture: Theo Wargo/Getty Images via AFP

“Somebody shouting your name in public is insane,” the star said. “Sometimes I feel uncomfortable when it’s grown men approaching me. [And] sometimes people shout vile things.”

“Like, you don’t stop for somebody because you’re going to be late for something and they’re calling you a ‘c***, w****’ in front of your mother.

“It’s horrific.”

Ortega plays Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday. Picture: Netflix

Elsewhere in the interview, Ortega also said she feels “incredibly misunderstood” by the public.

“I think that’s part of my struggle with that side of this job. It’s almost to a point where it feels like your name doesn’t belong to you,” she said.

“I almost don’t even resonate with it anymore. I hate assumptions, and a big part of this job is that people are going to make assumptions about you.”

Her remarks came after the interviewer asked Ortega about her controversial comments on an episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast in 2023, in which she copped backlash for saying she “had to put my foot down” with “changing lines”, leading many to dub it disrespectful towards the show’s writers.

Responding to the furore, Ortega told THR, “I mean, I felt terrible.”

She continued, “In no way did I mean to come across that way. I spend a lot of time in my head and I have all these different trains of thought, and all I needed to say was, ‘I improvise.’

“Also, nobody, before, ever cared what I said. It was a good lesson.”

Wednesday season 2 will be released on Netflix in two parts, first on August 6 and then on September 3.

It’s already been renewed for a third season.

Originally published as Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega reveals ‘horrific’ pitfall of fame