Nothing about Jenna Ortega's career has been accidental.
She didn't stumble into Wednesday or Scream or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice—she maneuvered. With intent. Now, she's setting her sights on the director's chair, and unlike the many actors who make vague nods toward “maybe directing someday,” Ortega already has a story, a vision, and—more importantly—the receipts.
In a V Magazine interview with Abel Tesfaye (yes, The Weeknd), Ortega confirmed what her most attentive fans may have already suspected: she's not satisfied with simply showing up to set. “That's probably the main thing that I want to do,” she said of directing. “That's how I even view my acting sometimes.”
This isn't your standard “actor wants more control” puff piece. Ortega has been preparing—producing credits on Death of a Unicorn, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and the upcoming Wednesday Season 2 show she's been in the trenches. She's not playing auteur cosplay. She's studying the game, absorbing it piece by piece, like a chess prodigy who knows exactly when to flip the board.
“There's so much that goes on behind the scenes that I wasn't aware of,” Ortega says. “I'm just putting the puzzle pieces together in my head.”
And here's where it gets wild: the mystery project she wants to direct has been simmering in her brain for over a decade. Not since she got famous—since before she was even old enough to drive. If that doesn't scream long game, what does?
Same Playbook, New Player
Actors transitioning into directing is nothing new—Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Jordan Peele (Get Out). But what separates Ortega from the usual suspects is her age and timing. She's only 22, and she's attempting a pivot while her star is still ascending. That's rare. Most wait until their spotlight dims to switch lanes. Ortega? She's flooring it in both directions.
The Ortega Blueprint
What's equally fascinating is the rationale behind her creative ambition. She's not chasing power for power's sake—she's chasing authenticity. “To get the stories that you want to get made nowadays, you kind of have to start them yourself,” she said. That's the thesis statement of today's young creatives: if the system won't give you the roles you want, build a new system. Ortega isn't interested in echoing what's already out there—she's coming for the blueprint.
It echoes what Donald Glover did with Atlanta, or what Phoebe Waller-Bridge did with Fleabag. Not just acting. Not just writing. Creating worlds. Ortega's about to join that club, and we should pay attention.
So what now?
Hurry Up Tomorrow hits theaters May 16. Wednesday Season 2 lands August 6. Her directorial debut? Still TBA—but the foundation is set, the vision is locked, and Jenna Ortega is quietly becoming one of the most important young creatives in Hollywood.
Would you trust a 22-year-old to direct and star in their own mystery film? If it's Jenna Ortega, maybe you should.
