Jenna Ortega Takes On First Leading Role In The Fallout

Jenna Ortega had made quite a name for herself, with roles in projects like Jane The Virgin, You, Yes Day, and Scream. I spoke with her at SXSW Film Festival 2021 about her film The Fallout and being a Latina in the entertainment industry.

Ortega opens up about the changes she’s seen in the industry, which allowed her to take on her first leading role in The Fallout. “In the years that I've been acting I've seen a lot of change in the industry and the slow adjustment to being more diverse and accepting more diversity and just having more people of color on screen,” Ortega told me. “It's very rare that people of color are actually the leads, like even a lot of the films that I've done in the past years have been a lot of supporting roles. This is also my first time ever leading a film."

As Lady Gaga says, sometimes it only takes one person to believe in you. “Another thing about our industry is people don't often change until somebody else takes a chance on you,” said Ortega about The Fallout director Megan Park casting her. “Once that chance is made and once somebody sees something in you and pushes you to be the best you possibly can be, I think that's when people start to take notice and start moving forward.

Ortega shines a light on how important it is for people to see themselves in the media they consume. “This was a really incredible experience for me, but also for young women of color who are growing up watching people on screens,” said Ortega. “It's important that we find these story lines relatable snd truthful.

“For me, film should always focus on being a reflection of the real world and our world is so much more colorful than Hollywood has made it out to be,” Ortega shared. Next up, she’ll take on the role of Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s upcoming Wednesday series.

The Fallout hits HBO Max on January 27.