Jenna Ortega’s Big TV Break

Jenna Ortega plans a TV break after Wednesday, eyeing fresh roles.

Break From Television

Jenna is taking a break from television, and the timing couldn’t be more apt. Following a meteoric rise through the world of television,

the Wednesday star is set to take on her biggest project yet, after which she intends to take a step back from the medium entirely. This is a surprising decision, and it comes at an unexpected time in the star’s career.

All About This Important Update

Jenna Ortega has become a household name, and many would say at the absolute peak of her powers. As such, it would be easy for her to keep grinding at television,

jumping from one series to the next without ever slowing down. Instead, she has decided to do the unthinkable and take a step back.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Ortega stated her intention to get away from the constant cycle of “finishing a TV show and jumping headfirst into another”

and instead do something a little bit different.

What this means for her career

Ortega has spent the last several years at the absolute height of her powers.

Having built her career through an impeccable selection of television projects, the actress is now using the power of her name to dictate the parameters of her working schedule.

As she herself states in her interview, what she intends to do now is “take a break from television”. She has decided to resist the urge to jump from one television project to the next, and instead invest the time and effort into finding something worthy of her efforts.

She even goes so far as to say that “what I’m meant to do will come and find me”, which speaks volumes about her confidence and the strength of her brand.

This decision is informed by the same creative instincts that have guided her career thus far.

Ortega has been very careful about the franchises she attaches her name to, speaking often of the lack of quality projects she sees offered to young female leads.

She has spoken of being approached for a major horror franchise, but declining due to a lack of connection with the material. We can expect to see Ortega take on more interesting roles following her hiatus.

Important Details & Context

• The plan: Ortega is reportedly preparing to take a break from television after the conclusion of Wednesday.
• The reason: She intends to break the cycle of constantly going from one television project to another, which has characterized her working life since her childhood.
• The timing: She has no intention of immediately jumping into another television series.
• The attitude: She intends to let the right project come to her, rather than the other way around.
• The inspiration: She has admitted to being approached for a major horror franchise, but declined the offer.
• The proof: Ortega has repeatedly spoken of the difficulties of a young child working in the industry, and admitted to having considered giving up acting entirely before landing You.

The details

• Ortega has a long list of television shows to her credit, including Jane the Virgin, Stuck in the Middle, You and Wednesday, the latter of which propelled her to international fame.
• Her filmography includes Iron Man 3 (2013), The Fallout (2021), X (2022) and Death of a Unicorn (2025).
• She also has a long list of horror movie appearances, including the aforementioned Scream reboot (2022) and Scream VI (2023).

The Bigger Picture

As mentioned, Ortega has spoken of the difficulty of working in the industry as a young child, and has stated that she often didn’t get to eat or drink while working on set.

This, she says, was a major factor in her wanting to leave acting behind before eventually deciding against leaving the industry entirely.

Taken together with her recent decision to take a break from television, it would seem that she is doing the same thing now.

Her decision to exit the Scream franchise is similarly telling, and shows that her current stance on her career is fully informed by the realities of the industry.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2025, Ortega stated that she would not be returning for Scream VII,

explaining that she was disappointed with the decision to fire Melissa Barrera and replace original directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

She says that she doesn’t feel comfortable continuing with the series in its current state. Perhaps this is a sign of more to come?

FAQ

What would you like to see Ortega do next? Let us know in the comments below.