Jenna Ortega is stepping back from the relentless cycle of public reception, critical critiques, and digital engagement. In recent interviews, the actor reflected on establishing firm boundaries surrounding her work, including her deliberate choice not to watch her own films, consult critical reviews, or track commercial metrics.
Tuning Out Box Office Data and Critics
Speaking with Vogue for a cover story, Ortega discussed maintaining complete detachment from how audiences and critics receive her projects. She explained that reading reviews is entirely off the table, noting that engaging with them "would send me into a psychosis of some sort."
Similarly, when her management and representatives send performance metrics, Ortega chooses not to review the figures. Her decision stems from wanting to protect her relationship with acting, stating simply that she doesn't want her creative work to "become a numbers thing."
Stepping Back From Social Media and Connectivity
Historically, Ortega turned to social media to take the temperature of how her projects were being perceived. However, she noted that she has significantly curtailed her activity across platforms, explaining that she finds herself online "less and less" as time goes on.
Her departure from regular platform usage stems from content quality and self-perception concerns. Ortega stated that "so much of what you see on there nowadays is just garbage AI," further observing that "we all look at ourselves too much." To emphasize her preference for disconnecting, Ortega shared that after recently damaging her phone, she opted to go days without replacing or repairing it. Instead, she navigated her routines by memorizing maps on a computer and organizing meetups by designating specific cafes ahead of time, a routine she described as "freeing."
Critical Climate Around Upcoming Releases
The actor's strict policy against monitoring commentary coincides with the rollout of her latest feature, "Klara and the Sun." Directed by Taika Waititi and based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, the film opens in theaters on October 23.
The adaptation has encountered a harsh response from critics, holding a 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers, including Variety, offered sharp criticism, characterizing the feature as "calamitous" and calling it a "strained, whimsical comedy that's ruinous." Alongside the tepid reception, box office projections indicate an opening weekend tracking around $2 million against its $20 million budget—numbers Ortega will avoid entirely under her personal screening blackout.
Planning an Extended Departure From Television
Beyond her approach to current releases, Ortega also reflected on the future of her television career during an appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. While she remains attached as the lead of Netflix's hit series "Wednesday," which is heading toward its third season, the actor expects to step away from the small screen once the show concludes.
Having begun working on television at the age of 9 on "Jane the Virgin," followed by three seasons leading the Disney Channel series "Stuck in the Middle," Ortega noted that she has spent the majority of her youth on television sets. Looking toward the horizon after "Wednesday," she expressed confidence in her trajectory: "What I'm meant to do will come and find me. I think after 'Wednesday,' I'll probably be off the TV for a while. You know I had many years doing [TV]. I was bouncing from show to show as a kid and I want to leave time for new things."
With production moving forward on "Wednesday" and "Klara and the Sun" heading to audiences, Ortega's focus remains squarely on the creative process rather than public scorecards or future small-screen commitments.
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Source: Variety
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