Wednesday's Jenna Ortega's career: Typecast or just her perfect niche?

Is Wednesday's Jenna Ortega being typecast, or is she simply thriving in a niche that fits her like a glove?

Disclaimer: This article is infused with personal insight, sharp wit, and a touch of Wednesday-level cynicism. While rooted in facts, it leans into analysis and speculation—because what’s the fun in playing it safe?

While the question might seem open-ended at first, the answer becomes clear as we dive into her journey—from childhood fears to full-blown horror icon. It's not just a coincidence; it's almost like destiny.

From fear to final girl

Jenna Ortega's love for horror isn’t a recent development. In fact, it started with sheer terror. During an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she revealed that the first movie that truly terrified her was Child’s Play.

“I think the first movie that terrified me was Child’s Play.”

She explained that she accidentally watched it while staying with her uncles, who later couldn’t find her for half an hour. The reason? She was rocking back and forth in a corner, convinced that Chucky was coming for her.

“I was just sitting there like, ‘He's gonna get me!’”

And where did she end up hiding?

“Swear to God, I was in my sibling’s closet.”

Fallon pointed out the irony: she was traumatized by horror movies as a child, and now she’s one of the biggest faces of the genre. Jenna, ever self-aware, had the perfect response:

“You gotta face your own fears.”

Jenna Ortega's horror evolution

From child star to full-fledged scream queen, Jenna's journey through horror has been steady and intentional. She first dipped her toes into the genre with The Babysitter: Killer Queen, then solidified her place with X, Scream (2022), Wednesday, and stepped into the world of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Now she returns in the whimsical horror tale of revenge in the upcoming Death of a Unicorn. Every role pushed her deeper into the world of eerie aesthetics and final girl survival, proving that she wasn’t just another actress playing scared. On the contrary, Jenna Ortega has been redefining what it means to be a modern horror icon.

Nevertheless, it is not only about the characters that she plays; it is also about the way that she makes them her own. The ability to add depth to her horror characters is something that Jenna is very good at, whether it be through the use of emotional subtleties, physicality, or just presence.

As a result of her performances, each role she plays feels unique while yet being interconnected. Her performances go beyond the usual archetype of a scream queen.

The gothic aesthetic vs. reality

With her career filled with horror, goth aesthetics, and eerie atmospheres, you’d think Jenna would be walking around looking like she stepped out of a Tim Burton movie. And, well—sometimes, she kind of does.

On The Tonight Show, she sat elegantly in a sleek black dress, long gloves, and silver chain details, effortlessly embodying gothic glamour. While it wasn’t full Wednesday-core, it still carried that darkly sophisticated energy, proving that whether on or off-screen, she knows how to own her aesthetic. (And if you search for more pictures of her, well, it seems she does like the gothic-chic aesthetic.)

Destiny at play

But the full-circle moment doesn’t stop there. While talking about filming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, she revealed that instead of reacting to green screens or tennis balls (Hollywood classics for CGI scenes), she actually got to work with physical props that were… doll-like.

“So, Chucky was a doll, and then now I’m acting with dolls.”

It’s as if the horror gods planned her entire career trajectory. The girl who once hid in a closet to escape a murderous doll is now effortlessly commanding the horror genre—and doing so in a gothic diva outfit that screams final girl energy.

Typecast or choice?

Here’s the thing: Jenna Ortega isn’t just taking these roles, she’s actively shaping them. She’s not being cast into horror by accident. She’s producing Wednesday Season 2, making creative decisions, and proving that she’s in control of her career. Horror isn’t just something she ended up in. It’s something she’s choosing.

"So, you know, I get to decide, like, how blue somebody’s gonna be, or where the brains go on the floor, what the prosthetics look like —" she said, all happy, to Jimmy Fallon.

So, is Jenna Ortega being typecast? Or is she simply owning a niche that was practically written in the stars? The answer is crystal clear: it’s not typecasting if you’re running the show.