‘I would go all day without eating’: Jenna Ortega reveals shocking reality of being a child star

Jenna Ortega has spoken candidly about the pressure she put on herself as a child actor, admitting she would sometimes spend entire days on set without eating or even having a drink of water.

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The actress, now 23, has recently found herself the subject of commentary about her appearance, with people expressing concern over how slim she looks in recent photos.

Her latest comments have shed light on the intense mindset she had when she was younger, and how determined she was to make sure she never became a burden to anyone on set.

Jenna began acting professionally at a young age before landing her breakout Disney Channel role as Harley Diaz in Stuck in the Middle. She later appeared in You before becoming a household name as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday.

Looking back at her childhood career, Jenna told Esquire she felt she had been particularly well behaved and focused while working.

“I really had it going for me as a child ‘cause I can’t think of one mistake I made. Is that a terrible thing to say? I feel like I make mistakes now all the time, but as a child, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on.”

Jenna Ortega tells Esquire she would go entire days without eating or drinking on set as a child actor because she “wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.” pic.twitter.com/Hj4qOpPxSq

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 11, 2026

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Rather than risk interrupting anyone or asking for help, Jenna said she would simply go without things she needed.

“I wasn’t asking for a sip of water,” she recalled.

“I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.”

Jenna now seems to recognise that her determination to be the easiest person on set came at the expense of looking after herself.

“Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself.”

While Jenna has since become one of the most recognisable young actresses in Hollywood, her experience is a reminder that being praised for being the ‘perfect’ child star can sometimes hide the pressure that comes with it.

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