Jenna Ortega is just like us! The 23-year-old actress opened up about one of her first celebrity crushes during a recent appearance on the Big Bro with Kid Cudi podcast.
The Wednesday actress revealed that as a child, she had a crush on the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.
“When I was 6, I was really into politics, and Obama got inaugurated that year. So I would write him letters, ‘Hey, love your work. Can I come to the White House?’ … and he never responded,” Jenna said.
The actress went on: “I used to think it was like a crush of some sorts, but I just wanted his job. Like I wanted to go to the White House to get an understanding of okay, the Oval Office is going to be my space.”
The crush was a sign of Jenna’s career ambitions. And when Barack never responded to her letters, the Scream actress turned to another powerful person, Oprah Winfrey.
“And then I started writing Oprah because I saw a photo of them together in a magazine and I was like, ‘Hey Oprah, I know you know Obama…he’s not getting back to me,'” she told Kid Cudi.
© Crooked MediaWhile Jenna’s political ambitions didn’t come to fruition, she quickly became a Hollywood A-lister. At just 23, she has been nominated for at the Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, and won a Critics’ Choice Award in 2023 for her performance as Wednesday Addams.
Jenna’s thoughts on Hollywood and politics
And, the young actress doesn’t bite her tongue when it comes to matters she cares about. In 2024, Jenna opened up to Vanity Fair about the intersection of Hollywood and politics.
“The business that we work in is so touchy-feely,” she said. “Everybody wants to be politically correct, but I feel like, in doing that, we lose a lot of our humanity and integrity, because it lacks honesty.”
© JONATHAN HESSION/NETFLIXJenna went on: “I wish that we had a better sense of conversation. Imagine if everyone could say what they felt and not be judged for it and, if anything, it sparked some sort of debate, not an argument.”
What Jenna’s up to now
Jenna is one of the most sought after young actors in Hollywood. This November, she is set to star in The Great Beyond alongside Glen Powell, Emma Mackey, and Samuel L. Jackson. The fantasy film, directed by J.J. Abrams, follows a young newlywed couple struggling to survive against a supernatural entity.
© Getty ImagesShe is also filming season three of the Netflix hit, Wednesday. In the upcoming addition to the thriller series by Tim Burton, several new actors will join the cast. Lena Headey from Game of Thrones and James Lance from Ted Lasso are set to appear alongside Jenna.
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