Why Jenna Ortega Doesn’t Have Any Career Regrets Despite ‘Good or Bad’ Moments

Rachel RaposasTue, August 11, 2026 at 7:20 PM UTC

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Jenna Ortega for Esquire.Credit: Chantal Anderson for Esquire -

Jenna Ortega has no regrets when it comes to the numerous projects on her résumé

“I don’t know if I can ever categorize anything as a mistake,” Ortega told Esquire in a new interview

As she forges a new stretch of her career, Ortega is now focusing on roles and stories she feels deeply connected to

Jenna Ortega is reflecting on the career she’s built thus far.

The Wednesday star, 23, spoke with Esquire in a new interview about the highs and lows of her many years onscreen as she continues adding to her wide-ranging résumé.

While some of her projects have been largely lauded, like blockbuster Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and her role rejuvenating the Scream series in two of its latest movies, others have been critically panned, namely 2025’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, a companion movie to The Weeknd’s album of the same name.

However, Ortega said she has no regrets — though she admitted she has learned some hard lessons along the way.

“One hundred percent, yeah. I don’t know if I can ever categorize anything as a mistake,” Ortega said. “Good or bad, you’re going to learn from it.”

Jenna Ortega for Esquire.Credit: Chantal Anderson for Esquire

“I’ve gotten such a better understanding of who I am as a person and what I want from the world,” she added. “I wouldn’t have been able to get that understanding of my position had I not gone through phases of trial and error.”

Ortega’s reflections come ahead of two more projects: Klara and the Sun from Taika Waititi, and J.J. Abrams’The Great Beyond.

In Klara and the Sun, out Oct. 23, Ortega is the titular AI robot who attempts to make a friend after experiencing bouts of loneliness. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s hit 2021 novel, the dystopian sci-fi tale also stars Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Aran Murphy (son of Cillian Murphy), Steve Buscemi and Natasha Lyonne.

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Jenna Ortega KLARA AND THE SUN – Official TrailerCredit: Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube

Abrams’s The Great Beyond, expected in October 2027, follows a fantasy author who learns the world he created on the page has become a reality. Ortega is joined by Glen Powell, Merritt Wever, Samuel L. Jackson and Emma Mackey in the star-studded cast.

“The character that I play is a lost young person in a new city,” Ortega told Esquire of her role in The Great Beyond. “[She has] a confusing history and finds a friend in Glen Powell’s character…and that’s pretty much all I could say!”

As she enters a new stretch of her career, Ortega is shifting gears from exploring genres and stories to carefully choosing to invest in projects that speak to her.

“I’ve been in this experimental phase,” she said. “It’s only been in the last year or so—especially with the show coming to a head and getting ready to enter this next chapter in my life and career—that I’ve really honed in.”

“I’ve seen some things now. I’ve tried some things,” Ortega added. “Now it’s important to me to be focused on stories and characters that I feel truly connected to.”

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Klara and the Sun is in theaters Oct. 23.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”