Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows include Wednesday, Scream, The Fallout, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and several family comedies and animated series. However, two earlier characters reveal a particularly interesting connection: Harley Diaz in Stuck in the Middle and Princess Isabel in Elena of Avalor both have a talent for inventing. Before Ortega played Nevermore Academy’s determined investigator, she already portrayed young people who relied on curiosity and resourcefulness.
Those Disney roles offer a useful starting point for exploring her work. Comparing them with her later performances shows how differently she can approach confidence, vulnerability, and humor.
Before Wednesday, Jenna Ortega Played Two Young Inventors
In Stuck in the Middle, Ortega plays Harley Diaz, the middle child in a family of seven children. Harley uses inventions and creative solutions to navigate a crowded household, where standing out rarely comes easily. Meanwhile, Ortega voices Princess Isabel, Elena’s younger sister, in Elena of Avalor. Disney’s official introduction to the animated series specifically describes Isabel as a budding inventor. Both shows debuted in 2016, placing these resourceful characters in the same period of Ortega’s career. One lives in a busy contemporary family; the other inhabits a magical kingdom. Nevertheless, both give Ortega a character whose intelligence matters to the story.
This connection makes an interesting viewing comparison, although it does not establish that either character influenced her portrayal of Wednesday. Watch how each character handles a problem: Harley works within family comedy, while Isabel’s adventures involve fantasy and royal responsibilities. Wednesday later brings a much darker personality to her own investigations.
Jenna Ortega Movies and TV Shows at a Glance
The following selection highlights different sides of Ortega’s work. For a broader career chronology, Wikipedia’s overview of Jenna Ortega’s screen roles separates her film, television, and voice credits.
| Movie or TV show | Jenna Ortega’s character | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck in the Middle | Harley Diaz | Family comedy centered on an inventive middle child |
| Elena of Avalor | Princess Isabel, voice | Animated fantasy and a young inventor |
| Big City Greens | Gabriella Espinosa, voice | Animated comedy |
| You, Season 2 | Ellie Alves | A supporting storyline within a psychological thriller |
| Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous | Brooklynn, voice | Animated dinosaur survival adventures |
| Yes Day | Katie Torres | Live-action family comedy |
| The Fallout | Vada Cavell | Drama about the aftermath of a school shooting |
| Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023) | Tara Carpenter | Slasher horror |
| X | Lorraine Day | Adult horror |
| Wednesday | Wednesday Addams | Supernatural mystery and deadpan comedy |
| Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Astrid Deetz | Supernatural fantasy comedy |
| Death of a Unicorn | Ridley Kintner | Comedy-horror involving a father and daughter |
These are selected credits rather than a complete filmography. Disney’s own career retrospective confirms her roles in Stuck in the Middle, Elena of Avalor, and Big City Greens, while Netflix and Paramount document several of her later thriller and horror performances.
Her Animated Characters Offer Another Way Into Her Work
Ortega’s animation credits extend beyond Princess Isabel. In Big City Greens, she voices Gabriella Espinosa, a character connected to Cricket Green’s romantic storyline. She also voices Brooklynn in Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, which follows teenagers trying to survive after dinosaurs escape on Isla Nublar. These roles provide a useful contrast because animation removes the facial expressions and physical presence viewers associate with her live-action performances. Instead, listeners can concentrate on her delivery, timing, and reactions. Disney confirms Gabriella in its guide to Ortega’s Disney appearances, while Netflix lists Ortega among the stars of Camp Cretaceous.
For someone who knows Ortega mainly through Wednesday’s controlled delivery, these animated characters offer a worthwhile change of pace. They also demonstrate why a useful guide to her career should include voice performances alongside on-screen appearances.
You and The Fallout Show Different Kinds of Vulnerability
In You Season 2, Ortega plays Ellie Alves, a teenager who becomes entangled in Joe Goldberg’s Los Angeles life. Netflix’s official recap establishes Ellie’s place in that story. However, The Fallout places Ortega at the center of a different experience: Vada Cavell’s life after a school shooting. The film follows Vada’s changing relationships with her family and friends, including Mia, whom Maddie Ziegler plays. For viewers choosing between the two, the distinction matters. You places Ellie within a continuing thriller, whereas The Fallout concentrates on a young person’s emotional response to trauma. Neither offers the lighter viewing experience of her Disney comedies.
Wednesday and Tara Carpenter Are Different Horror Characters
Grouping Ortega’s darker projects together can hide important differences between her characters. Paramount identifies her as Tara Carpenter in both Scream and Scream VI. Meanwhile, Ortega herself explained in a Netflix interview about Wednesday that Wednesday approaches danger differently from the characters she plays in horror films. Rather than simply reacting to a threat, Wednesday often anticipates it. That distinction gives viewers something specific to compare: Tara faces the violence of a slasher story, while Wednesday combines investigation with an unusually comfortable attitude toward the macabre. The shared performer does not make their personalities interchangeable.
Her later work continues to mix supernatural material with other concerns. For example, A24’s description of Death of a Unicorn introduces a father and daughter who accidentally kill a unicorn before a wealthy businessman seeks to exploit its properties. That premise places a family relationship inside a creature story. Wednesday Season 2 also features Lady Gaga as Professor Rosaline Rotwood.
For more about her life and screen career, read our guide to Lady Gaga’s age and career milestones.
What Should You Watch First?
Choose a starting point based on the kind of performance you want to explore. Stuck in the Middle introduces Ortega’s family-comedy work, while Elena of Avalor offers the most direct comparison with her other inventor character. For animation with more danger, consider Camp Cretaceous. Alternatively, The Fallout focuses on emotional drama, while Scream and Wednesday offer contrasting approaches to fear and confidence. These choices make a more useful route through her career than treating every title as a variation on Wednesday Addams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Jenna Ortega appear in a Marvel movie?
Yes. Jenna Ortega plays the vice president’s daughter in Iron Man 3. Disney confirms the appearance in its retrospective of her work, although the role is much smaller than her later television leads.
Does Jenna Ortega return in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory?
No. Ortega voices Brooklynn in Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, but she did not return for its sequel series, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory. Therefore, the sequel should not automatically appear on a list of her acting credits simply because it continues the characters’ story.
Are Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows suitable for children?
That depends on the title. Her credits include children’s animation and family comedy, alongside films with adult material. For example, Disney+ lists Stuck in the Middle as TV-PG, while Paramount lists Scream as R. Check the individual title’s local classification before choosing it for younger viewers.
Harley Diaz and Princess Isabel make a revealing double feature: two inventive young characters in very different worlds. Starting there gives viewers a broader picture of Jenna Ortega before moving into the vulnerability of The Fallout or the darker confidence of Wednesday.
Related Reading: Explore the cast of Maintenance Required and the preparation behind their performances for another look at the work behind screen characters.