Jenna Ortega recalls childhood regret: Afraid to ask for food and drink while filming

Jenna Ortega, the star of Netflix's "Wednesday," has revealed a difficult aspect of her early career as a child actress: an intense fear of disrupting filming schedules. Ortega, now 23, admitted in a recent interview with Esquire that she would often spend entire days on set without eating or drinking.

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I wouldn't ask for a sip of water. I could go all day without eating, without drinking, whatever it was, because I just really didn't want to bother anyone.

She explained that her reluctance stemmed from a desire not to bother anyone working on production. "I wouldn't ask for a sip of water. I could go all day without eating, without drinking, whatever it was, because I just really didn't want to bother anyone," Ortega said.

Ortega, who began acting at age nine, described herself as being incredibly grateful and enthusiastic about being on set during her childhood. This eagerness, she felt, led her to prioritize professionalism above her own basic needs. "I felt like now I make a lot of mistakes, but when I was little, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that I always tried to focus," she recalled.

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I felt like now I make a lot of mistakes, but when I was little, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that I always tried to focus.

Looking back, Ortega now views this behavior as a significant mistake. "Maybe that was my mistake. I wasn't really taking care of myself," she reflected. Her early career included roles in "Rob" and "Jane the Virgin" before she gained wider recognition with the "Scream" franchise and her lead role in "Wednesday."

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Maybe that was my mistake. I wasn't really taking care of myself.