Jenna Ortega says Disney Channel media training makes it harder for her to set boundaries with fans
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jenna Ortega has once again opened up about growing up in the entertainment industry and learning to establish personal boundaries.
The 'Wednesday' star revealed that the media training she received during her Disney Channel years shaped how she approached interactions with fans and that she is "trying to have better boundaries."
Jenna Ortega explains why she is learning to set boundaries with fans
During an appearance on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast on Thursday, October 22, Ortega discussed how her early media training influenced her approach to meeting fans. The former child star recalled being told during her Disney Channel days that meeting a celebrity could be a special moment for someone.
“When I was young, and I was on Disney Channel, they took us to media training, right?” the 24-year-old told host Josh Horowitz. “And they told us, you know, ‘Every time someone meets you, it’s probably the only time they’re ever going to interact with you, like that’s a very special moment in their lives. So just be aware of that.’”
Ortega joked that the advice came with “No pressure!” She explained that the message has stayed with her over the years, making her conscious of how she treated people who approached her.
“That has never left me,” Ortega said. “And sometimes I try to give myself grace, and I’m trying to have better boundaries.” The actress explained that she is becoming more selective about meeting people in certain circumstances.
She acknowledged that she might not always feel safe stopping to take photographs with strangers, particularly adult men, while adding that she remains comfortable interacting with children.
“So maybe if I feel like it’s not so safe of a situation or maybe I don’t want to stop and agree to take a photo with a random grown man,” she said. “Kids and things like that, of course.”
Ortega described fan interactions as a mixture of sweet and difficult experiences. While some encounters are meaningful, others can become embarrassing, aggressive, or mean, making it challenging to determine the right balance. “But you just… I do what I can,” she added.
Jenna Ortega reflects on childhood acting career, OCD and self-care
Ortega began her acting career at age nine and went to star as Harley Diaz, the middle child in a large family, on Disney Channel's 'Stuck in the Middle' for three seasons from 2016 to 2018. She also voiced Princess Isabel in Disney's animated series 'Elena of Avalor' and appeared in 'Big City Greens'.
Now, she is known for playing Wednesday Addams, the daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams, in Netflix's 'Wednesday'. Her other credits include the 'Scream' franchise and Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Winona Ryder's Lydia Deetz, in 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'. Her latest film, Taika Waititi's 'Klara and the Sun', was released on Friday.
Earlier in the week, Ortega told Vogue that she had quietly struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) since she was seven, two years before she began acting. She recalled following specific routines each morning before school, including arranging her bedsheet, opening a drawer and brushing her hair in a particular way.
Ortega uses therapy, medication and acting to cope with the condition. She explained that concentrating her energy on her work helps her manage her experiences, adding, “You have to breathe [when the cameras are rolling]. That's another reason why I like my job.”
In a previous interview with Esquire, Ortega also reflected on her childhood acting career and her determination to avoid disappointing anyone on set. She struggled to recall a rookie mistake from her first set, explaining that she had been grateful and excited to work.
“I really had it going for me as a child ‘cause I can’t think of one mistake I made,” she said. “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.”
