Jenna Ortega Reveals What Almost Made Her Quit Hollywood

Alright, here’s one from the 'close call' department: Jenna Ortega, who seems to be everywhere on Netflix and horror movies lately, recently admitted she almost called it quits on her acting career. Yep, the same Jenna blazing through Wednesday and Scream nearly dropped out before things really took off.

Teenage Doubts (& Almost Bailing on Hollywood)

Ortega hopped on Kid Cudi’s podcast, Big Bro, and got way more real about her career path than most young stars ever do in public. Apparently, acting wasn’t just her first choice, it was basically her only plan. But after she wrapped up one of her early kids’ shows, she hit that awkward before/after stage where a lot of child actors vanish, and she seriously wondered if it was time to walk away.

"I didn’t know what else I was gonna do. I’ve never really considered anything else, more so recently, just out of the sake of curiosity and wanting another life experience."
"It felt like a good time to call it quits. I was starting high school, it was a good run ... Then I booked the show 'You' & I was like, 'There’s no way I could let this go.'"

She talked about how weird it was after her Disney-era ended, especially because she had to prove herself all over again (read: acting in front of casting directors who'd never heard of her, despite years around the industry—yeah, that's Hollywood for you).

The Timeline: Near-Exit Stage Left to Netflix Fame

• Ortega had wrapped up her kids show (Stuck in the Middle on Disney Channel, for those keeping score).
• She was about to start high school and figured that maybe it was time to just do 'normal teenager' stuff instead of audition circus life.
• She even sat down with her team for months (yep, months) mulling it over—retirement talk and all.
• But then she landed the role of Ellie in You, Netflix's glossy stalker-hit, and all that hesitation went out the window as soon as she arrived on set.

And honestly, I get it—once you’ve tasted the big leagues, it’s hard to walk away, especially when you end up loving the work more than ever.

From Almost-Quitting to Scream Queen (& Beyond)

If you’re not following Ortega’s career arc: she started acting when she was nine. She first became a familiar face in lighter, family stuff, then seemed to jump onto every buzzy genre project available. The big leap after You was landing the lead on Wednesday (Netflix again) and rebooting herself as new-gen Final Girl material in the Scream franchise.

Bottom line: it's wild to think about all the projects we might not have seen her in if she’d decided school was more appealing than auditions. The lesson? Sometimes you really are one phone call—or one slightly unhinged streaming thriller—away from completely changing your own story.