Jenna Ortega has revealed that the global success of Wednesday left her feeling unhappy and overwhelmed.
In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the actor described how fame altered her life after the first season of the Netflix series became its most-watched English-language show, amassing 252.1 million views.
“To be quite frank, after the show and trying to figure everything out, I was an unhappy person,” she said. “After the pressure, the attention — as somebody who’s quite introverted, that was so intense and so scary.”
Ortega expressed frustration at being placed under scrutiny, saying, “I feel like being a bully is very popular right now.” She said she felt “incredibly misunderstood” as critics and fans dissected her career choices and personality online.
Despite gaining creative opportunities, Ortega admitted to discomfort with aspects of her role. “I’m doing a show I’m going to be doing for years where I play a schoolgirl. But I’m also a young woman,” she said. “There’s just something about it that’s very patronizing.”
The actor has since pursued more varied roles in films such as Death of a Unicorn, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and The Gallerist. “You just don’t feel like you’re being taken seriously,” she added.
Ortega remains thankful for the fan support. “I want to be able to give back to them. But I also want to do things that are creatively fulfilling to me.”
Wednesday Season 2 will premiere on Netflix in two parts from August 6 to September 3.
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