Jenna Ortega Was Shielded by Mom from Set Misconduct, Says ‘Child Acting Is Strange’

Jenna Ortega, who began her Hollywood journey as a child actor at the age of 9, gained early popularity with notable roles in series like Disney Channel’s “Stuck in the Middle.” In a recent interview with The New York Times, Ortega shared that she was fortunate not to experience any misconduct on set as a child, partly due to her mother’s vigilant supervision. Although Ortega hasn’t watched this year’s documentary series “Quiet on Set,” which reveals various instances of misconduct on Nickelodeon shows, her mother did and relayed her concerns to Jenna.

“I think for her, it was more pain, because she had seen the way that other children maybe weren’t protected or weren’t as looked after,” Ortega said regarding her mother’s response to the series. “She watched over me like a hawk, so I think for her, it was more empathizing and wishing she somehow could have done something to help. She just called me saying she was so grateful that things were ok and that she was there to witness everything.”

While Ortega managed to avoid harassment, she acknowledged the peculiar nature of child acting. “I see why my parents felt so hesitant about it, because you’re putting a child in an adult workplace,” Ortega reflected. Living a typical childhood in Coachella Valley would have shaped her into a different person, altering her mannerisms and social interactions. “It’s completely changed my way of thinking and going about life,” she noted, adding that child actors share a unique, almost secret connection due to their experiences.

“Children aren’t supposed to be working like that,” Ortega stated. She emphasized that children should be engaging in normal activities like climbing trees, drawing, and attending school. Ortega credited her parents for ensuring she lived a balanced life, attending public school, maintaining friendships, and prioritizing academics and rest over filming. “I feel really, really fortunate to have had parents who made sure that I hung out with friends, made sure that I went to public school and wouldn’t allow me to work on a job unless I had straight A’s and was prioritizing my sleep and my schoolwork,” she added.

Despite moments of regret from both Ortega and her parents about starting her acting career so young, she wouldn’t change her past. “I’m incredibly grateful for the lessons that it did teach me,” she said. Ortega values the in-depth knowledge she has acquired about the filmmaking process, which makes her feel safe and excited on set. “I love that when I go on a set now, I’m incredibly knowledgeable. I know what the camera verbiage means, I know what a grip’s job is, I know what a gaffer’s job is, I can get along with the D.P., I can go through shot lists. I understand it all. I know what’s going on around me, and therefore I feel incredibly safe and comfortable and excited to go to work every day because it’s familiar to me,” she remarked.

Ortega’s next role is in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” slated to debut in theaters on September 6 following a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Source: The New York Times