Woman Crush Wednesday: Jenna Ortega is Going to Thrill ‘You’

Merry Christmas, everybody! Today we celebrate by giving you the gift of a young actress on the rise and who is already making major waves in the entertainment industry. So, without further ado, let’s talk about this week’s wonderful Woman Crush Wednesday, Jenna Ortega!

WHO’S THAT GAL: Jenna Ortega

WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: Ortega plays Ellie Alves in season two of Netflix’s hit psychological thriller, You, which drops on the platform tomorrow, December 26th (Christmas ends but the gifts keep on coming!). Ortega’s Ellie is a teenager who grew up too fast living in Los Angeles, and from the looks of a recent cryptic post by the You official Twitter account, is going to be interacting with the show’s star, serial killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) who while visiting LA has found a new woman to become obsessed with and stalk.

According to a Deadline article from earlier this year, Ortega’s character is “secretly living with minimal supervision or nurturing in her life” so she has to take care of herself, and as a result, she “isn’t afraid to get into murky waters to make a little cash. This includes working cons on the adults around her, including Joe Goldberg.” We’re relieved to hear that it sounds like she’ll be holding her own just fine on the show, and can’t wait to see how Ellie’s story plays out.

WHERE YOU’VE SEEN HER BEFORE: One look at Ortega’s credits and it is quite clear that the 17 year-old actress has wasted no time in making a name for herself on screens big and small. Her first professional role was a small part on Rob Schneider’s sitcom Rob in 2012, and from then on she hit the ground running with supporting roles in big 2013 films Iron Man 3 and Insidious: Chapter 2, as well as recurring or main roles in television shows Rake, Richie Rich, and Elena of Avalor. Ortega is probably most remembered from her recurring role from 2014 to 2019 on Jane the Virgin as Young Jane, and for starring from 2016 to 2018 on Disney Channel comedy series Stuck in the Middle as Harley Diaz, the middle child of seven kids (oof). To have accomplished all of this before the age of 18 is insanely impressive (and a little intimidating, if I’m being honest!), but it seems like Ortega is only just getting started.

WHERE YOU’LL SEE HER AGAIN: Once you’ve binged all of You, you may be in Ortega withdrawal, but fear not, friends, because she’s coming back in full force in the new year. Ortega will have roles in two 2020 Netflix films, Yes Day, a comedy in which she plays Katie Torres, daughter of Allison (Jennifer Garner) and Carlos (Édgar Ramírez), and The Babysitter 2, a horror-comedy that is a sequel to the 2017 film Babysitter, featuring returning stars Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, and Ken Marino.  There is no doubt that this is only the beginning for Ortega, and we absolutely can’t wait to see what she does next.

Stream You on Netflix