In a Hollywood scene that can often feel predictable, it’s refreshing when an actor stands out, and Jenna Ortega does just that with her unique dry humor and serious delivery. Known as Gen Z’s top scream queen, Ortega has brought new life to several scary movie franchises like Beetlejuice, Scream, and The Addams Family through her popular Netflix series Wednesday.
Next, she takes on the horror-comedy Death of a Unicorn (keeping it spooky, of course). Starring with Paul Rudd, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant, and Will Poulter, Ortega plays a key role in a story about a father and daughter who discover that unicorns are not as magical as they seem.
With a growing career, Death of a Unicorn is just the latest in a line of much-anticipated projects that the young star has joined. Let’s take a look back at her most important roles and find out how much she’s earned from her impressive work in film and TV.
How did Jenna Ortega get her start?
Jenna Ortega, born in 2002, was 9 years old when she starred in her first acting job, a commercial for Colgate toothpaste. Ortega has said her parents “have no interest whatsoever in [Hollywood]” (her mom is an ER nurse and her dad works in the California district attorney’s office), but they still supported her dream of becoming an actress.
Her first TV acting job was in the sitcom Rob in 2012. That same year, she had a guest role in an episode of CSI: NY, and soon after, she appeared in a film as the president’s daughter in Iron Man 3 (2013).
She continued taking on small roles in movies and TV shows until 2014, when she got her first big, ongoing role as young Jane in The CW’s Jane the Virgin. She was in 30 episodes of the show until it ended in 2019. She also starred in Disney’s Stuck in the Middle from 2016 to 2018.
By that time, Ortega had established herself as a successful actress ready for bigger roles, and in 2019, she landed her first Netflix job as Ellie Alves in season 2 of You.
What is Jenna Ortega’s net worth in 2025?
Jenna Ortega’s estimated net worth is $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
This amount is expected to rise as she continues to grow her reputation and recognition in Hollywood, which has been boosted by her roles in Beetlejuice and Wednesday. She also appeared in a recent music video for the song Taste by Sabrina Carpenter, another former Disney star.
How much did Jenna Ortega make from Wednesday?
If you know Jenna Ortega from any project, you’ve probably seen her in Tim Burton’s Wednesday on Netflix. Bringing new life to the Addams Family franchise, the show focuses on a teenage Wednesday Addams as she attends the mysterious Nevermore Academy, similar to Hogwarts.
Ortega’s unique dry humor makes her the perfect fit for the role. In an interview with NME, she said, “I’ve been compared to Wednesday Addams my entire life.” She added, “I was a pretty weird child, so I think that [didn’t help]. And I’m naturally very dry and sarcastic.”
The first season of Wednesday was a huge hit, becoming the most popular show on Netflix, but Ortega says the best is yet to come. She told E! News that Season 2 is expected to be even better.
“Some of the footage that we shot in Wednesday season two, especially in the last episode, is some of my favorite footage from the show,” she shared. “Everything is very graphic and it’s very exciting.”
While Ortega or her representatives have not shared how much she earned from the show, according to Cosmopolitan, referencing a Deadline report, she probably made around $30,000 per episode for Season 1 of Wednesday.
The report also suggests that she may earn up to $250,000 per episode in the second season due to the show’s massive success.
How much did Jenna Ortega make from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?
Continuing her journey in the spooky world of Tim Burton, Jenna joined the cast of the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel with Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Michael Keaton. Ortega plays Astrid, the daughter of Lydia (Ryder), helping introduce the beloved film to a new generation.
Ryder believes Ortega was essential to making the project happen. “We were waiting for Jenna to be born and grow up and be the perfect age,” Winona told the Associated Press. “Because she fits so beautifully into this puzzle like she’s such an incredible, brilliant addition and it’s just… I love her so much.”
Ortega also formed a bond with the other cast members. In an interview on The Tonight Show, she recalled her funny first meeting with Michael Keaton, who plays Beetlejuice. “He came up behind me,” Ortega said.
“I was getting a hair and makeup test, and I got a tap on the shoulder and I turned around and it was a jump scare for sure. He was like, ‘Oh hey I’m Michael,’ and he had molds peeling off his face.” She was so startled, she didn’t realize it was him.
“I played it cool and then it was cool until I met him for a second time out of hair and makeup because I introduced myself again because I forgot that I had already met him,” she said, laughing.
There is no exact figure for how much Jenna earned for her role in the film, but given the movie’s $100 million budget and her rising fame, it’s likely she made at least a few million, if not more.
How much did Jenna Ortega make from Scream and Scream VI?
Jenna Ortega is making a name for herself in the horror genre with ease. When she was cast in a smaller role in Scream, it didn’t take long for the film’s creative team to realize that Jenna was a star.
Co-director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin shared in a 2023 interview with Elle that on the first day of shooting, they quickly realized her potential: “On our first day of shooting with her on Scream, about an hour in, we all turned to each other and said, ‘Oh, she’s great.
We are underutilizing her in this movie.’” Her role was expanded for the sequel, Scream VI, and she shared how her love for the franchise pushed her to work harder. “In the last one, I was screaming and crying the entire time,” she told Elle.
“This time, I actually had to create a personality for her. I actually had to decide, What does she wear? What’s her favorite color? How does she wear her makeup?
What’s her sense of humor?” All of her effort paid off, as the $33 million budget movie earned almost $170 million at the box office.
A report from Just the Nobodys Podcast mentioned that Jenna earned $520,000 for her role in Scream and $5 million for her return in Scream VI. These figures should be taken with caution, but considering her strong box office appeal, it’s possible that Ortega received such a significant pay increase between the films.
How much did Jenna Ortega make from Stuck in the Middle?
If you’ve been following Jenna from the start of her career, you probably remember her Disney Channel days when she starred as the smart middle child, Harley, in Stuck in the Middle. The show ran for three seasons, which is typical for children’s shows, and was praised for its diversity and representation, something Jenna was passionate about even at a young age.
In an early interview, she told Sling TV, “I wanted to be Harley because I could relate to all of her problems and I loved that! I’m proud that Disney chose to make her a Latina who is smart, making her a role model for young girls.
I also love that Harley is confident and doesn’t care about what other people think of her or her family. Harley embraces all of her differences, which I find inspiring.”
Just the Nobodys Podcast reported that Jenna earned $280,000 for her entire three-season run on the show, which comes to just under $5,000 per episode. Not a bad salary for a 14-year-old!
How much did Jenna Ortega make from You?
One of Jenna Ortega’s first big roles after leaving Disney Channel was in the second season of Netflix’s thriller You. She was initially unsure about how the change from a kid’s star to an actress in a darker role would be received, but she told Hola! at the time, “It’s been pleasantly surprising! …The reaction has been so heartwarming and exciting.”
Taking on more adult-focused stories can be challenging for a young actor, and she admitted it was a concern. “I was worried about my Stuck in the Middle audience seeing [You] because they’re a little young for that type of content. Also coming off of Disney, that was my first project, and I felt like I had completely forgotten how to act.”
While there’s no official record of Jenna’s salary from the show, considering she probably made about $5,000 per episode on Stuck in the Middle and given You’s popularity, it’s reasonable to guess she earned between $10,000 and $20,000 per episode.
How much did Jenna Ortega make from The Fallout?
One of Jenna Ortega’s first big movie roles was in The Fallout, a powerful drama about the aftermath of a school shooting.
The film won several awards at SXSW in 2019 and was praised for handling the sensitive subject matter and for strong performances, particularly from Ortega. She knew the film’s topic could be difficult for some viewers, which she talked about in an interview with Deadline.
“A project like this, it’s so relevant and it’s so unfortunately real that I think it was a bit nerve-wracking,” she said. “Obviously I only want to be respectful to anybody who’s ever experienced anything like this before. It’s a very sensitive topic.
But after meeting with Megan, the writer-director who’s so wonderful and put so much time and effort into this project, knowing that she was only coming from a place of respect and well-meaning and had educated herself on the topic, I felt safe to proceed.”
Just the Nobodys Podcast reported that Jenna earned $920,000 for her role in the movie. While this number might be based on rumors, the film was the most-watched streaming movie during its release week, according to TV Time, so its success may have led to a higher pay rate for the Wednesday star.
Has Jenna Ortega won any awards?
Ortega has been nominated for an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG Award, and People’s Choice Award, all for her leading role in Wednesday. For the same role, she has won a Kid’s Choice Award, MTV Movie + TV Award, Critics Choice Super Award, Imagen Award, and Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films.
She also won a 2024 People’s Choice Award for her work in Scream VI, among other recognitions.
[Updated: 04/02/2025]
