Jenna Ortega spoke out against the stereotypes about teenagers that irk her during an interview over spicy chicken wings on Hot Ones with host Sean Evans.
When asked if there is a Gen Z Trope or stereotype about teens in scripts that ‘gets under’ her skin, the 20-year-old actress was quick to call out some misconceptions about high schoolers.
After ‘a little over a decade’ in Hollywood and acknowledging that she does ‘look a bit younger’ than her peers, the You star said she is over plotlines about ‘bratty’ teens that ‘bad mouth’ everything.
She also noticed that teenagers are often depicted as ‘unintelligent,’ which she does not reflect her generation because so much is ‘accessible to them on the Internet.’
‘I wish that they were given a bit more credit. We can be smart, sometimes!’ she insisted.
Honest: Jenna Ortega spoke out against the stereotypes about teenagers that irk her during an interview over spicy chicken wings on Hot Ones with host Sean Evans
Later, Ortega elaborated on why she calls the horror drama her ‘second home’ and a past interview, in which she joked that there’s something about her face that ‘people always want to throw blood on it.’
From an early age, she said she knew she liked scaring people because when they would ‘jump out behind walls’ to freak her out she ‘never’ flinched.
After being told so many times that her fearlessness meant she had ‘no soul’, the actress said she mused about wanting to ‘get them back’ on the big screen.
As for creating her own version of Wednesday for Netflix’s Addams Family spin-off, the star noted that she worked hard to fight ‘the nostalgia that everyone feels for the ’60s Wednesday and the ’90s Wednesday while’ also slightly ‘feeding’ into it.
‘Giving a new take and making it your own to a new generation, so that they’re introduced to the character, was a real balancing act,’ she admitted.
The Golden Globe nominee continued: ‘So I found that as long as I studied the old material and took traits and aspects that I knew I could easily weave into my own iteration, it felt like a good, happy medium.’
The performer went on to speak about her upcoming horror film, Scream VI, and the ‘hallmarks’ of a good chase scene in a slasher movie.
The performer insisted that a ‘couple of injuries’ and stabs were necessary to make that kind of scene just ‘chaotic’ enough.
Getting real: After ‘a little over a decade’ in Hollywood and acknowledging that she does ‘look a bit younger’ than her peers, the You star said she is over plotlines about ‘bratty’ teens that ‘bad mouth’ everything
Very informed: She also noticed that teenagers are often depicted as ‘unintelligent,’ which she does not reflect her generation because so much is ‘accessible to them on the Internet’
Interesting points: When asked if there is a Gen Z Trope or stereotype about teens in scripts that ‘gets under’ her skin, the 20-year-old actress was quick to call out some misconceptions about high schoolers
Evans, 36, then asked if David Arquette gave her any art lessons between shooting scenes for Scream VI.
After saying she was ‘actually working when people took’ his class, she admitted to feeling ‘completely defeated’ to have missed the opportunity to learn from him.
‘He is like a little angel of a person, I can’t believe he’s real,’ she gushed. ‘But, yeah, he gave the entire cast Bob Ross lessons so we would walk into our collective green room and there would just be beautiful paintings everywhere.’
Her series, Wednesday, was renewed for a second season, after becoming one of the most successful shows ever on the streaming platform, in January.
‘I wish that they were given a bit more credit. We can be smart, sometimes!’ she insisted
Funny: From an early age, she said she knew she liked scaring people because when they would ‘jump out behind walls’ she ‘never’ flinched
The spin-off about the Addams Family centered on her moving into the boarding school Nevermore Academy.
In an interview with Tudum.com, Creators/Showrunners/Executive Producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar said: ‘It’s been incredible to create a show that has connected with people across the world.
‘Thrilled to continue Wednesday’s tortuous journey into season two.’
‘We can’t wait to dive head first into another season and explore the kooky spooky world of Nevermore. Just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.’