Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAnnabel NugentWednesday 12 August 2026 12:03 BSTJenna Ortega on why she likes to play 'weirder' charactersActor Jenna Ortega has spoken about the extreme lengths she went to as a child star, including going all day without food or water on set to avoid being in anyone's way.In an interview with Esquire, the 23-year-old Wednesday star admitted that failing to look after herself as a young actor was perhaps her biggest mistake.Ortega revealed her acting career was sparked at seven years old when her parents initially laughed at her ambitions, driving her stubborn determination to succeed.She also addressed negative stereotypes about child stars, acknowledging that "a lot of them are true".Ortega is set to star in Taika Waititi’s upcoming film adaptation of Klara and the Sun and will reprise her role in the third season of Netflix's Wednesday.In fullJenna Ortega ‘would go all day’ without food or water as a child starMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in