‘Maybe that was my mistake’: Jenna Ortega shares heartbreaking first-set mistake as a child actor 

Jenna Ortega has spent much of her life in front of cameras. Now 23, the Wednesday, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Scream star is reflecting on a part of her childhood career that reveals just how much young performers can feel pressured to fit into an adult workplace.

Her acting journey began more than a decade ago. She appeared in Iron Man 3 at age 9 before landing the Disney series Stuck in the Middle at 13. Her early career also required major sacrifices from her family.

In a 2022 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ortega recalled her mother driving her from the Coachella Valley to Los Angeles four or five times a week. The trips could take six or seven hours round-trip for auditions, BuzzFeed reported. 

Growing up in Hollywood is definitely not as glam as it looks

Ortega previously told The New York Times that child acting can feel strange because children are placed inside adult workplaces. She said growing up in the Coachella Valley might have made her a very different person.

She also described recognizing a shared experience among former child actors. Ortega credited her parents for making sure she attended public school and maintained her grades. They also required her to prioritize sleep and schoolwork before accepting jobs.

That perspective resurfaced during a new August 11 interview with Esquire. While answering quick-fire questions, Ortega was asked about a rookie mistake from her first set. Her answer was unexpectedly painful. I wasn’t asking for a sip of water.”

Ortega explained that she was so grateful and excited to be working that she tried not to get in anyone’s way. She said she could spend an entire day without eating or drinking because she wanted to avoid becoming a burden. “Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself.”

The admission quickly prompted discussion about the pressures placed on child performers. One Reddit user argued that children should not be expected to care for themselves in an adult workplace. 

Others called the experience heartbreaking and questioned why the adults around young stars were not ensuring they were properly cared for. Another commenter described Ortega’s experience as an example of how common this can be among child actors. The pressures of fame do not necessarily disappear with age, as we have seen with Jim Parsons, who recently opened up about his struggles as an actor.