Jenna Ortega, the talented actress who’s excited to star in the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie, recently shared some surprising details. During an appearance on the Today show on August 19, Ortega revealed that she wasn’t always a fan of the horror genre, even though she is now well-known for her roles in darker films.
Ortega is now 21 years old but when she was a child, she would get terrified by various things, and one among them was the original Beetlejuice movie. Even though the film became iconic, it scared Ortega. “I was scared of everything,” she confessed to Hoda Kotb, the show host, adding, “I loved the Gremlins but I hated them at the same time.” Her reaction was a mixture of intrigue and fright as well as confusion.
With age, however, came her ability to handle fear differently. She discovered that excitement can often feel like fear. “When I’m scared, I can just tell myself I’m excited,” she revealed how she thinks of it now. This modification of perception has made her fears manageable hence transforming experiences that were once frightening to her into something positive.
Ortega was unexpectedly thrust into the horror genre with her role as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s hit series Wednesday. This part, which demanded her to be monotonous and enigmatic, was an abrupt shift from her earlier roles as a child. “It’s funny to my family that I’m known for this deadpan persona now,” she commented on how her career has changed over time.
However, when Ortega got an offer for a part in the movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, she started seeing the franchise differently, despite initial misgivings. The new film is a sequel to the 1988 classic and is slated for September 6th, 2024 release date. When Tim Burton gave her the script, Ortega’s nervousness mixed with thrill. She pulled aside somewhere off the road just so that she could read it immediately. “I called my team within two hours and said, ‘I can’t tell you what this is about, but just know I’m doing another job with Tim [Burton],’” she said.
The actress didn’t hesitate to be a part of the film after reading the script, indicating personal growth from her childhood fears. She is now eagerly anticipating working with Michael Keaton again as Beetlejuice and other returning cast like Winona Ryder in addition to new members Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe. Ortega couldn’t hold her excitement about joining such an amazing cast as well as seeing Keaton’s iconic depiction in real life.
Beetlejuice, which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival towards the end of this month, has already created quite a lot of buzz. The old fans of this movie would certainly be interested in how the new sequel brings back some of their favorite characters while introducing others.
In addition to being excited about the movie, another co-star Catherine O’Hara had kind words for Ortega calling her a cool young woman and assured that both Beetlejuice films past and present were really fun movies.
It’s interesting to know how Jenna Ortega grew from a terrified child into a bold actress playing leading roles in horror movies; this is an amazing story about personal growth and conquering fears. With her new film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, ready for release, it is worth noting that her experiences serve as an inspiration for the importance of facing one’s phobias and finding unexpected rewards through them.
ALSO READ: ‘No, I Didn’t Care…’: Michael Keaton Jokes He Got A ‘Big, Fun, Nice Check’ From Batgirl
