Jenna Ortega drops bombshell about 'You' role opposite Penn Badgley

Penn Badgley's hit show You changed everything for Jenna Ortega.

Speaking on the Big Bro With Kid Cudi podcast on April 8, the 23-year-old actress revealed she was seriously considering walking away from acting as a teenager — until she landed a part on season 2 of You.

“I didn’t know what else I was gonna do. I’ve never really considered anything else,” Ortega recalled of her post-Disney Channel phase. I had to prove myself and meet all these new casting directors who didn’t know who I was.”

As she was about to start high school, Ortega had a long chat with her team and came to the conclusion that it was “a good time to call it quits.”

Then came her breakout moment.

“And then, I think I booked that show You, and then I went on that set, and I loved it and had the best time. I thought, ‘Yeah, there’s no way I could let this go,’” she said of playing Ellie Alves, the neighbour of Joe (Badgley) in season 2.

Before that turning point, Ortega was best known for Disney’s Stuck in the Middle. Since then, she’s become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand young stars, thanks to hits like Wednesday and the Scream films.

As for her fate in You, Ortega’s character was one of the lucky few who did not fall victim to Joe. But though the writers wanted to bring her back for the following seasons, scheduling conflicts with Wednesday made it impossible.