January 2024. When Jenna Ortega walks the red carpet at the Emmy Awards, she appears in a splendid strapless dress enhanced with delicate embroidery – a creation requiring more than seven hundred hours of work, signed Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior. The young actress, recently inducted as Dior Parfums and Jewelry ambassador, is the new face of the Dior Rose des Vents collection, designed by Victoire de Castellane. The Parisian luxury house made no mistake: Jenna Ortega is one of Hollywood's rising stars. His destiny changed at the end of 2022, in a series. Jenna Ortega, then barely 20 years old, dazzles in the title role of Wednesday, the new Netflix version of the universe of
The Addams Family
, with these zany and non-conformist characters created in 1938 by comic book artist Charles Addams . After the legendary TV series of the 1960s and the films of the 1990s with Anjelica Huston (and a very young Christina Ricci), this umpteenth adaptation is helmed by THE master of the gothic fantasy genre, Tim Burton.
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Jenna Ortega, divine creature
In images, in pictures
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See the slideshow08 photos
Revisited in Gen Z style, the plot focuses on the eldest Addams, sent to a boarding school for unsuitable children – imagine a mix between Harry Potter and
Carrie.
With her braids and her imperturbable pout, Jenna Ortega is perfect, injecting a good dose of modernity into a franchise whose codes we know like the back of our hand (hello, The Thing!). Tim Burton, who chose the young actress himself after an audition of barely ten minutes via Zoom, is full of praise for his protégé. Jenna Ortega could not have dreamed of a better dubbing, she who for ten years has selflessly played roles in TV series, dubbed cartoons and appearances in films. Like Ariana Grande or Zendaya, both from the Disney Channel machine, Jenna Ortega has made her mark in fiction aimed at young people (her Disney hit?
Harley, the Least of My Worries
).
Tim Burton, mentor and accomplice
She landed her first castings around age 6, for commercials. Passionate about comedy, it was via a Facebook ad that the little girl signed her first agency contract. His mother, a nurse, supervised his beginnings, accompanying him on all the castings. Mischievous, lively and hyperexpressive, Jenna sparks. And it pays. At the end of 2022,
Wednesday
has one of the best starts on the streaming platform, beating the record of
Stranger Things
, another teen success. The brunette is becoming a viral phenomenon on social networks (she has 40 million followers on Instagram). Teenagers replay one of the series' cult scenes over and over on TikTok, in which Wednesday performs a crazy dance to an eighties hit by the Cramps. At the start of 2023, it's the consecration: Jenna Ortega lands a nomination for the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards. The following year she was nominated for an Emmy. She then emancipated herself, multiplying notable roles in cinema, particularly in the horror genre (she joined the
Scream
saga ). For the second season of
Wednesday
, currently in preparation, she even takes on the role of co-producer, still alongside Tim Burton.
Having become her accomplice and mentor, the cult director compares her to “those silent actresses capable of conveying an emotion only with a look”. With Wednesday, this freak and whimsical teenage character, Jenna joins a Burtonian genealogy that goes from Helena Bonham Carter to Eva Green (seen in
Dark Shadows
), via Christina Ricci (whom he starred in
Sleepy Hollow
and who makes an appearance in
Wednesday
). Better, the filmmaker makes Jenna Ortega the missing link in
Beetlejuice
– she plays the daughter of Winona Ryder, Burtonian muse among all, in
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
, the sequel to the cult 1988 film, scheduled for the next school year. The circle is complete.
Madame Figaro.
– What made you want to be an actress
?
Jenna Ortega.
–
I have always loved watching movies. As a child, I was a big fan of young actresses, like Dakota Fanning. I am very sensitive and touching others through the emotion of the game immediately fascinated me. When I discovered that telling stories was a real profession, it became my obsession: I had to become an actress!
You have worked a lot, since the age of 6. what memories do you have from this time
?
One of my first memories of acting is quite funny... I was in primary school, and as I often missed class because of my appearances in advertising, I asked my theater teacher if I could get some credits to move up to the next class by participating in the play she was putting on,
Peter Pan
. She gave me the role of Putois, the youngest of the Lost Children... Bad luck, my costume tore in the middle of the show! I thought: “I will never go on stage again!” The filming of
Iron Man 3
remains another strong memory. I was 11 years old and it was my first big film, even if, in the end, I only appeared on screen for seven seconds... I felt joy and pride in being part of this adventure. I played the daughter of the Vice President of the United States, a one-legged disabled person in a wheelchair. For the scene, I had to retract my leg while keeping it folded under my buttocks. I remained stoic in the same position for hours, not daring to get up or ask for something to eat or drink... I absolutely did not want to leave the set, not to miss anything of this unique experience. When I got up, I fell, because my leg had gone completely numb! It’s true that I toured a lot during my childhood. The car trips I took with my mother are some of my best memories. She was the one who took me everywhere. We drove for long hours between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley, where we lived. These were privileged moments of exchange. I don't think we could have spent as much time together talking if I had spent my days at school, like all the other little girls, and she at work, like all the other mothers do. I really got to know her that way. And I cherish our complicity.
I filmed a lot during my childhood, and the car trips I took with my mother are some of my best memories
Jenna Ortega
You are preparing the second season of the series
Wednesday
, this time with the producer's hat, what do you want to bring
?
I tried to ensure that there were more horrific elements in this second part, because it's really a cinematic genre that I'm a fan of. Each episode will almost be able to work individually – it will be very different from the first season. In the coming years, I would like to move on to directing. But it's a little early anyway. For the moment, I remain focused on acting.
You worked with the legends Winona Ryder and Tim Burton for the sequel to
Beetlejuice
…
With Winona, we got along well straight away, she is super funny and warm. I've admired his work for so many years, it's a real source of inspiration. As for Tim, I pinched myself on the set of
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
to make sure I wasn't in the middle of a dream! He is sometimes perceived as someone serious and reserved... It's quite true. But above all it's a kind of adorable creature! He is very concerned about the well-being of his team. His door is always open if we need to talk. Our first meeting was on
Wednesday
. It only lasted ten minutes, but we fell in love straight away. Now that I know him well, I realize that we have things in common, such as a rather particular caustic sense of humor. We laugh a lot at our own jokes! Obviously, we also have in common this taste for strange cinema. I constantly ask him for references to films to watch, he knows everything, he's an incredible film buff.
You are in control of your life. Be weird, or not… but be yourself!
Jenna Ortega
Do you think you have a form of responsibility towards the young women of your generation, who see you as a model to follow
?
I don't want to influence the girls of my generation at all, but rather to encourage them to do what makes them happy. We have such a tendency to let things happen, to accept unacceptable behavior in order to be loved or appreciated, to conform to this or that ephemeral diktat on social networks. What seems important to me is that everyone finds their way: you are in control of your life, your body, your destiny. Be weird – or not… but be yourself!
You are a Dior Perfumes and Jewelry ambassador. What does this mean to you
?
I still have trouble measuring how lucky I am! It is a house where two remarkable women work. The creations of Victoire de Castellane, artistic director of Dior jewelry, and those of Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of the women's collections, are so elegant, so refined, they are true works of art. When I wear them, I hardly dare touch them! The Dior house welcomed me very warmly. It is important for me to be in a positive and caring work environment. I feel so strong and powerful when I wear a Dior creation, it's extraordinary!
How would you define your style
?
In everyday life, I would say that I am quite classic. Nothing extravagant, no garish colors… I like neutral tones, basics. I often wear black turtlenecks or white t-shirts… I would say I have quite an androgynous style. There are many people whose looks I admire, even though they are obviously very different from mine, like Jane Birkin. It is an eternal icon.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
,
by Tim Burton. In theaters on September 11th.