Jenna Ortega shared that lessons from her early acting career still shape how she interacts with fans. She explained that Disney Channel media training encouraged her to treat each interaction as special to the other person, making it hard to set personal boundaries.
During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ortega recalled attending media training as a young Disney Channel actor. 'When I was young, and I was on Disney Channel, they took us to media training, right? And they told us, you know, "Every time someone meets you, it's probably the only time they're ever going to interact with you, like that's a very special moment in their lives. So just be aware of that,"' she said.
'No pressure!' Ortega then joked about the pressure of these expectations, adding, 'That has never left me. And sometimes I try to give myself grace, and I'm trying to have better boundaries.'
Jenna Ortega Opens Up that she finds having social interaction with her fans embarrassing because of the training she was taught at disney
— Izaya orihara (@Izaya_xbt) October 22, 2026
Jenna Ortega: "When I was young and I was on Disney Channel, they took us to media training."
"They told us, 'Every time someone meets… pic.twitter.com/25NqgRO0yW
Balancing Fan Expectations
Ortega explained that she now evaluates each encounter individually, considering her safety and willingness to take a photo. While she appreciates positive interactions, she noted that some experiences can be embarrassing, aggressive, or uncomfortable.
'So maybe if I feel like it's not so safe of a situation or maybe I don't want to stop and agree to take a photo with a random grown man,' Ortega said.
'Kids and things like that, of course. It is a lot though. And, again, it's sweet. Some of the interactions are so sweet, and then some of them are a little bit more embarrassing or aggressive or mean. And it's hard to know what the balance is. But you just... I do what I can.'
She has described times when she struggled to refuse fans' requests. 'My strangest ones are from our Disney days, where I'd go to the restroom, and someone would talk to me from underneath a stall,' she said.
'Or when I was washing my hands, and someone grabbed me by the arm and took me to their son's birthday party. And you don't have enough of a backbone to say no!'
When Compliments Backfire
Ortega recounted instances in which her compliments to fans led to awkward interactions. One example came during an interview on Greatest Hits Radio.
There, she recalled seeing a girl in Brooklyn dressed as Enid – a character in Wednesday. 'I saw this Enid and I said, "Oh my God, I love your costume, you look great,"' she said. However, the girl's reaction made her feel intrusive.
A similar situation occurred when she complimented a six-year-old blonde girl. 'Her wig was falling off. And I told her, "Oh, you look so beautiful." And she looked at me and then ran back to her classmates,' Ortega said. 'I was like, "Oh my god, I just scared this girl."'
Ortega explained that these experiences have led her to avoid initiating similar interactions with strangers, choosing instead to leave people alone and prevent discomfort. 'I'm done in that department,' she added.
Growing Up in Hollywood
Ortega began playing Harley Diaz in Disney Channel's Stuck in the Middle at age 13 and voiced Princess Isabel in the animated series Elena of Avalor. She later gained widespread recognition for playing Wednesday Addams on Netflix's Wednesday.
In an August interview with Esquire, Ortega shared that she sometimes went without food or water on set to avoid inconveniencing others or appearing ungrateful.
'I wasn't asking for a sip of water. I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody,' she said. 'Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself.'
Ortega's recent comments highlight the expectations she encountered as a child actor. These included pressure to accommodate others, sometimes at the expense of her own comfort.
