NEWSJenna Ortega Reveals She Went 'All Day Without Eating or Drinking' as a Child Star: 'I Wanted So Badly to Not Be in the Way'
Jenna Ortega admitted that she used to avoid asking for food and drink on set as a child star to 'not be in the way.'
Aug. 12 2026, Published 9:16 a.m. ET
Jenna Ortega admitted that she wanted to stay out of trouble so badly as a child actor that she wouldn't even ask for food or water on set.
The actress rose to fame with Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle, which ran from 2016 to 2018. Ortega was only 13 when the comedy show first aired.
Jenna Ortega said she did her best to not make 'mistakes' as a child star.
Jenna Ortega Detailed Her Life as a Child Star
Jenna Ortega said she didn't even ask for water on set when she was a child star.
The 23-year-old recently appeared for an interview with Esquire, where she revealed, “I really had it going for me as a child cause I can’t think of one mistake I made.”
Wondering whether that is a “terrible thing” to say, she stated, “I feel like I make mistakes now all the time, but as a child, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on.”
“I wasn’t asking for a sip of water,” she recalled.
Jenna Ortega said she used to neglect herself on set when she was a child star.
“I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody,” the Wednesday star admitted.
She also mused about whether not asking for her basic needs really equated to not making mistakes.
“Maybe that was my mistake; [I] was not actually looking after myself,” she remarked.
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Jenna Ortega Admitted Her Passion for Acting Became Evident in Childhood
Jenna Ortega said she was only 7 when she realized she wanted to pursue acting.
The Scream star said that she was very young when she realized that she wanted to be an actress.
“I was 7 years old when I said I wanted to do this,” she said.
However, what really made her determined to pursue her dream was her parents' reaction to her declaration.
“My parents laughed at me when I told them that I wanted to do it, and then that was kind of the root of everything,” she revealed.
“The motivation. And I never really stopped, because I’m very stubborn,” she reminisced, before adding, “And then I never questioned it.”
Jenna Ortega said a lot of the stigmas about child star's are 'true.'
The youngster is already paving her own path in Hollywood by taking on different genres and collaborating with industry veterans.
Her 2024 film Miller's Girl, in which she starred opposite Martin Freeman, received tremendous praise for her performance.
Working in the industry from a young age also gave her an insider’s perspective on child artists and the stigmas surrounding them.
When asked about her thoughts on the matter in the recent interview, she bluntly replied, “Is it wrong to say that a lot of them are true?”
“And do with that what you will,” she added cheekily.
