«Popularity is scary»: Jenna Ortega on the success after playing Wednesday
Admitted she was unhappy
American actress Jenna Ortega graces the cover of the latest Harper’s Bazaar issue, starring in a stylish photoshoot. The 22-year-old star, who rose to fame following her role as Wednesday, confessed that the overwhelming success of the series brought her not only massive popularity but also significant pressure and emotional struggle.
In the interview, the actress shared that ever since she «woke up famous» – as «Wednesday» became the most-watched English-language show in Netflix history with 252.1 million views – every word and action of hers became subject to public scrutiny, and not all the commentary was kind. This left Jenna feeling unhappy.
«To be honest, after the show and trying to make sense of everything, I was an unhappy person. Popularity and constant attention are scary for someone who is naturally quite introverted», the star remarked.
She added that she became a prisoner of the schoolgirl image, which prevented her from being taken seriously and limited her opportunities:
«I feel like I’m stuck in a school uniform. I’ll be playing a schoolgirl on that show for years, but I’m already a young woman».
Now, Ortega is determined to prove her versatility and is actively choosing roles in independent projects that are «more mature, bolder, and unconventional»:
«I’m very grateful to my audience for their love. And I want to be able to give that love back. But I also want to do things that creatively fulfill me. So I need to find a balance between making films that might interest them and making films that interest me».
At the same time, Jenna acknowledged some undeniable positives from the project – she learned to play the cello and her taste evolved.
«I definitely feel like my taste has become more gothic than it used to be. I’ve always been drawn to darker things, but I was a Disney kid, where everything was bubbles, kindness, and sugary sweetness», the young film star noted.
Фото: harpersbazaar.com
