Jenna Ortega overcame her fear of the grinning villain Chucky from film franchise Child’s Play, turning it into a passion. Now, she’s a horror icon!

Jenna Ortega’s been spooked by more than just her horror roles. One particular villain from a popular franchise haunted her for years, leaving a lasting impact. Determined to conquer her fear, Ortega took matters into her own hands, turning her personal ghost story into a powerful narrative of overcoming.

Jenna Ortega in Wednesday | MGM Television
This transformation from frightened fan to fearless star not only highlights Ortega’s resilience but also adds a new layer to her already impressive career. Dive into how Ortega faced her fears head-on and emerged stronger in the chilling world of horror!

Jenna Ortega’s Horror Evolution: From Chucky’s Fear to Reigning Queen of the Genre

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday | MGM Television

The Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega wasn’t always a fearless final girl. Once upon a time, she was a tiny terrorized tot, courtesy of one particularly pesky plastic pal. The culprit? None other than the grinning villain, Chucky—from the film franchise Child’s Play. Ortega confessed in an interview with Vanity Fair:

It fucked me up for years to come. I still was a massive scaredy cat, but I was interested in something that scared me. 

As a preteen, the demonic doll, Chucky, left such a deep scar that the young Ortega had to resort to a rather unconventional therapy session. Taking matters into her own hands, she re-watched the Child’s Play films time and again to get rid of the fear.

Fast forward to today, and Ortega’s the queen of the horror genre. From the meta-stabbing fun of Scream to the gothic gloom of Wednesday, she’s owned the genre to a T. But there’s one genre shift that still sends shivers down her spine: horror with a dash of comedy.
Jenna Ortega in Scream VI | Radio Silence Productions

Diving into the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice universe as the “new kid” was both a dream and a nerve-wracking challenge. With the film’s cult following, the pressure was real. “The storyline kind of doesn’t make sense,” the 21-year-old admitted. But honestly, who needs a perfect plot when you’ve got a talking skeleton and a sassy teen?

Ortega Teases a Scarier Wednesday Season 2 with Addams Family and a Missing Love Interest

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday | MGM Television
Jenna Ortega spilled the tea on what’s next for Wednesday. She revealed during a Vanity Fair interview that the new season would be a lot more horrifying. With a hint of inspiration from The Masque of the Red Death, it’s going full scary and abandoning the teen drama themes.

I think the feel that we’re going for is a little bit more horror-inspired.

Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia) and Luis Guzmán (Gomez), aka the Addams family OG’s, are upping their screen time as well. Ortega’s already gushing about Zeta-Jones being the ultimate cool mom said, as she revealed:

She’s just a good, cool person. She doesn’t overthink anything. 

But wait, there’s a twist! Wednesday’s on-screen love interest Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe) is MIA. While Ortega’s under pressure to nail the follow-up to her breakout role, she’s confident she can pull it off, and so are we!