[3][4] Ortega's mother began driving her to Los Angeles to attend auditions, a trip that sometimes took as long as six hours roundtrip, up to five days a week.

[16] She stopped going to public school during eighth grade to act in Disney projects and got an apartment in Los Angeles after securing a role in Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018).

[17] Common Sense Media praised Ortega's performance, saying she "commands this role, pleading her case as a long-suffering middle kid while finding the humor in the many calamities that befall her efforts to shine".

[14][42] Ortega played Phoebe, the love interest of Judah Lewis's character, in Netflix's horror film The Babysitter: Killer Queen,[43] which was released in September 2020 to negative critical reviews.

[53] Ortega had a leading role in the high-school drama film The Fallout, starring as a student who is navigating her emotional trauma after a school shooting.

[54] To prepare for the role, she looked at photographs and watched videos and interviews about school shootings; processing such events afterward "kind of came naturally".

[55] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times described her performance as "grounded and deeply moving",[58] while The Hollywood Reporter wrote that her "beautifully nuanced turn understands the nothing-to-look-at-here façade and the chinks in the armor".

[62] Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett cast Ortega because of her ability to play both horror and comic tones, and for the sound of her scream.

[68] Reviewers said she was underused;[69][70] according to the Los Angeles Times, "[n]ot even [a] cameo from ... 2022's newly minted Scream Queen Jenna Ortega ... can offer true horror bona fides to this flick".

Club said she was continuing "her streak as the new it-girl of horror with a stubborn punk persona that masks her care for other people",[78] while IGN lauded her "no-shits-given shell".

[83] To prepare for the role, Ortega underwent "the most physical transformation I've ever done", cutting her hair and dying it black, as well as altering her mannerisms, style of speaking, and facial expressions.

[84] She also learned to play cello and speak German, read the original Addams Family comic, and watched the 1960s television adaptation.

[85] Ortega called the production of Wednesday's first season her "most overwhelming job" in 2022, and spoke about being in a constant state of confusion and stress over the direction of the series and character.

[87][88] Upon Wednesday's release, critics widely praised Ortega:[89][90] CNN said that her performance sets the series apart from similar spin-offs, being "relentlessly strange, a portrait in unblinking intensity and oddly endearing all at once".

When creating Tara's personality, Ortega considered several of the character's traits, including her favorite color, fashion style, makeup, and sense of humor.

[117] The film tells the story of Cairo Sweet (Ortega), a high schooler whose writing ability captures her teacher's interest, which leads to a complicated relationship between the two.

[119] RogerEbert.com's Christy Lemire found Ortega "magnetic enough" to maintain the viewer's interest, although she thought the character's motives were predictable and illogical;[120] Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press dubbed the film "a pointless, awkward turn" in her career.

[121] Ortega appeared in and executive produced the romantic drama Winter Spring Summer or Fall,[122] which premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.

[123] Director Tiffany Paulsen described Ortega as the casting team's first choice for the role of Remi Aguilar, a driven genius who falls in love with a rebellious musician.

[133] In a more negative review, The Independent stated that she "can't help but seem a little bland and strait-laced" acting opposite Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse.

[134] The film has grossed $451 million worldwide;[135] publications such as Boxoffice Pro and TheWrap credited Ortega for attracting younger audiences, particularly members of Generation Z.

At one point during the special, she and Kevin Costner were caught off guard during the "Moving to New York" sketch where the character done by Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, and Kristen Wiig sang close to them enough to push both of them together.

[141] She is set to appear in and executive produce the film Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025) from Trey Edward Shults, that will co-star The Weeknd and Barry Keoghan.

[149][150] Ortega's protest gained significant media coverage;[17] she told the Associated Press that Trump's apparel displayed a lack of judgement and as the first lady, she ought to show concern for migrant children.

[163] She starred alongside Danny Ramirez, Olivia Negron, and Patricia Mauceri in an advertisement for Doritos that aired at the Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024.

Club enjoyed the ad but opined that fans of Wednesday would be dissatisfied by Ortega's lack of goth,[166] while TVLine stated that her limited screen time was "a real miscalculation".

Ortega was unable to understand how a young child could perform in a way that could scare her so much; she analyzed the film several times and decided she wanted to be "the Puerto Rican version of [Fanning]".

[15] Megan Park, who directed Ortega in The Fallout, said that she knows "when to give her all and when to hold back" while acting, adding that "to have that understanding of herself as a performer at such a young age" is extremely rare.

[177] A 2023 Harper's Bazaar story describes her as "quiet and contemplative",[10] while Vanity Fair wrote that she has a "black-hole persona" but is "much warmer and more cheerful than you'd expect".

She has said she became fearful of her comments on social media being misinterpreted following the release of Wednesday, adding: "Because I naturally tend to be sarcastic or dry, it's very easy for me to find myself in trouble ... [People] see your vulnerability and twist it in a way that you don't always expect.