Jenna Ortega is opening up about the best advice given to her in her career, and how that advice helped her gain confidence in her abilities. Speaking to Vanity Fair recently, she discusses how the advice allowed her to fully tackle her doubts and insecurities, especially when doing something new. During the interview, Ortega recalls the best advice given to her was that of her cello instructor for Netflix’s acclaimed series Wednesday. Her titular character plays the cello, and while Ortega herself doesn’t play, she wanted her movements to be as authentic to the character as possible. She added that she wanted it to look real so that cellists didn’t look at it and criticize her performance, approaching the task with the “confidence of the average white man.”
“She told me that I just needed to approach everything I do in life with the confidence of the average white man. That changed my life.”
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Ortega’s teacher also said that as long as she looked confident in her movements and remained strong and stoic she would be fine. Ortega added that she was even nervous about the interview with Vanity Fair, but ultimately the advice given to her helped her approach. If she’s feeling off or lacking confidence, she goes back to “Thinking like an average white man,” and it’s no longer a challenge.
“Like what am I going to talk about this whole time? Then I just remembered: How would an average white man do this? And he probably would’ve shown up with mismatched socks.”
What Can We Expect From Wednesday Season 2?
Jenna Ortega is currently in production for the second season of Netflix’s hit show Wednesday which is set to premiere in 2025. Based on The Addams Family comics written by Charles Addams, the show follows the adventures of Wednesday Addams and her high school years at Nevermore Academy. The series has been met with acclaim, going on to win four Primetime Emmy Awards and being nominated for several Golden Globes, including Best Actress for Ortega’s performance.
The upcoming season will focus more on the horror aspect, leaning towards the action while shying away from the romantic love interests. Ortega has expressed her distaste for the love triangle, explaining that “it makes no sense for her character.” Earlier this year at the Emmy Awards, she revealed that “each episode will probably feel a little bit more like a movie, which is nice.”
Most of the cast is returning for the second season, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday and Hunter Doohan, set to reprise their roles. Several additions were made to the season 2 cast, with the likes of Thandiwe Newton, Frances O’Connor, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo, and Christopher Lloyd, whose late casting came as an exciting surprise.
Wednesday
Follows Wednesday Addams’ years as a student, when she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents. Directed by Tim Burton.
Ortega has kept busy with several movie releases since the first season of the popular Netflix show. In 2022, she starred in X and Scream, as well as its successor, Scream VI in 2023. She followed this with Paramount+’s Finestkind (2023) and Miller’s Girl (2024). Her upcoming projects include Taiki Waititi’s adaptation of Klara and the Sun, Death of a Unicorn, as well a JJ Abrams film and a Trey Edwards film.
Her next project,
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,
a sequel to the successful 1988 horror comedy, is set for release on September 6, 2024.