Jenna Ortega became a household celebrity in 2022 as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix blockbuster Wednesday, but she’s far from a novice to Hollywood.
Before becoming one of Gen Z’s scream queens, the 20-year-old actress was a kid star who appeared on TV shows such as CSI: NY and in blockbuster sequels such as Iron Man 3 and Insidious: Chapter 2.
Ortega’s horror stint on Insidious predicted her later genre work, but not before she performed on several Disney programs in the 2010s, including her breakout role as Harley Diaz on Stuck in the Middle.
Her career and image as a horror icon skyrocketed last year after she headlined a tetrad of scary movies alongside Wednesday, cementing her standing as one of the most sought-after young performers working today.
With a slew of other projects in the works, including Beetlejuice 2, in which Ortega is said to play Lydia’s daughter, it’s evident that she’ll be on our screens for a long time.
Join EW as we rate Jenna Ortega’s 10 finest movies and TV shows (so far) based on the importance of her performance.
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Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows
1. Saving Flora (2018)
Every young actor needs to make an animal picture at some point in their career, and Jenna Ortega’s is the 2018 indie film Saving Flora.
Flora is an old circus elephant who is about to be “retired” for good, but young Dawn (Ortega) is desperate to preserve her.
What the film lacked in money, it made up for in ambition and star power, with David Arquette and Rhea Perlman starring.
Ortega was brilliantly cast, and her relationship with her onscreen elephant co-star was the film’s driving force. Saving Flora, while far from ideal, became more significant than most indie films.
2. The Little Rascals Save The Day (2014)
Jenna Ortega was already a budding kid star when she featured in 2014’s The Little Rascals Save the Day, and she managed to inject some levity into the otherwise unimpressive project.
The Little Rascals are aiming to win the $10,000 top prize at their local talent contest to help Granny (Doris Roberts) save her bakery.
In certain aspects, the film outperforms its direct-to-video budget, but it ultimately falls short in execution.
Despite being a new character in the movie, Ortega fits in beautifully as Mary Ann.
3. Yes Day (2021)
Jenna Ortega was on the verge of breaking into adult roles by 2021, thanks to positions in programs like You, but she still fits in well with her teen characters.
For one day only, the Torres parents (Jennifer Garner and Édgar Ramirez) say yes to their three children’s wildest desires. Ortega stars as Katie Torres, the oldest Torres child, in the Yes Day cast.
While she delivered a strong performance as an indifferent teen, she was underutilized and given nothing to do in the Netflix original.
4. Stuck In The Middle (2016-2018)
Jenna Ortega’s performance in Stuck in the Middle, which launched her career as a Disney Channel star, was the first important step in her young career.
Harley Diaz is her family’s imaginative middle daughter, and she will go to any length to distinguish herself from her six siblings.
Harley allowed Ortega to exhibit a lot of the personality that would land her more roles in the future since she appeared in all 57 episodes of the show’s three seasons.
While the series was overshadowed by other major Disney Channel favourites at the time, Ortega shone through.
5. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Jenna Ortega’s presence in the MCU will come as a surprise. Of course, that’s because Jenna Ortega’s Iron Man 3 role was so long ago that she could land a completely new role in the franchise and no one would know the difference.
She played the Vice President’s daughter, who is one of many people Tony Stark needs to save.
The final film of the Iron Man trilogy garnered positive reviews from critics, while some fans were dissatisfied with the changes made to the source material.
While it’s one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV series, her role is so minor that she’s barely recognizable.
6. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
The Insidious franchise is one of the most remarkable in the horror film genre. The majority of the entries received positive reviews, including the sequel to the 2010 premiere, Insidious: Chapter 2.
The film reunited the majority of the original cast, including Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne. The presence of horror expert James Wan in the director’s chair adds to the series’ appeal.
While this was deemed inferior to the original owing to a lack of surprises, it nevertheless mainly worked. Jenna Ortega was still very little when the movie was premiered, and she played a minor role as Annie.
Insidious 2, like Iron Man 3, is one of the best Jenna Ortega movies and TV series, but her role is so little, even though she’d demonstrated she could act at a young age thanks to Jane the Virgin.
7. Rake (2014)
Rake premiered on Fox and was fronted by Greg Kinnear as the protagonist, Keegan Deane, who was always solid.
In the legal drama, he’s a self-destructive criminal defence lawyer who gets in trouble with everyone around him.
The show is an adaptation of a popular Australian television series.
This version only lasted 13 episodes before being discontinued, whereas the previous version lasted 40.
Jenna Ortega played Zoe Leon, the daughter of Ben (Keegan’s best buddy) and Scarlet (a Los Angeles ADA). It’s one of the best Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows because she was finally given a more significant role.
8. X (2022)
Rake premiered on Fox and was fronted by Greg Kinnear as the protagonist, Keegan Deane, who was always solid.
In the legal drama, he’s a self-destructive criminal defence lawyer who gets in trouble with everyone around him. The show is an adaptation of a popular Australian television series.
This Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows only lasted 13 episodes before being discontinued, whereas the previous version lasted 40. Jenna Ortega played Zoe Leon, the daughter of Ben (Keegan’s best buddy) and Scarlet (a Los Angeles ADA).
It’s one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows because she was finally given a more significant role.