Jenna Ortega ‘had a mental breakdown’ the first time she saw herself in Wednesday

When you think of Wednesday Addams, you think of Jenna Ortega. Although it’s her most iconic role to date, the star has opened up about not being able to watch herself back, leading to a “mental breakdown” when she first saw herself in the Netflix series. 

Ortega has been in Dublin since February, filming the much-anticipated third season of Wednesday. Though the actress is known for a string of horror hits, there’s no denying the queen of macabre has become the defining role of her career so far. 

The newfound fame hasn’t been the easiest transition for the actress, something she spoke about in a new interview with Esquire. But when she first started on season one, she was convinced it would end her career. 

Naming Wednesday as her biggest creative gamble, Ortega said, “I thought my career was going to be over after that. I panicked. I had no idea. I was so confused. And then they started talking about this show and this big release that they were doing.”

“When we were shooting in Romania, it felt like this small little thing, which maybe was naive because Tim Burton was involved. But the cast and I used to laugh about it, like, ‘Wow, this is an insane shoot for it to really not be acknowledged.’”

Ortega admitted, “I can’t stand to watch myself.” And so when she saw part of the first episode, she said, “I had a mental breakdown. I called my friend Matt. I was like, ‘It’s up. Okay, here we go.’”

The actress also spoke about the pressures of being a child star, having started acting at nine years old in Iron Man 3 and later appearing in Netflix’s You at age 15. 

When asked about any mistakes she made at such a young age, Ortega replied, “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. 

“I wasn’t asking for a sip of water. I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody that maybe that was my mistake – like not actually looking after myself.”

The comments have sparked discussion online, particularly as clips from the Esquire interview have attracted a wave of concern from fans over Ortega’s slimmer appearance in recent months.

But her statement on not being able to watch herself has nothing to do with her physical appearance, as the actress explained in a 2023 interview with Harper’s Bazaar. The real reason is because she fixates on things she believes she could have done better. 

“I can’t watch my work, as I know I won’t be able to push forward and continue to grow as an actor if I cling on to certain things,” she told the outlet at the time. 

“A lot of people in my profession can probably relate to this: when you do a take you don’t like, you go to bed kicking yourself. 

“But ultimately, all I can do is be vulnerable and honest when the camera’s on, and then I have to move on and let it go. It’s really hard for me to not feel in control.”

For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page.

Featured image credit: Christopher Polk/Shutterstock for The Actor Awards