A once innocent Chucky-loving pre-teen, Jenna Ortega has evolved into a bona fide queen of screams, a role she seems to relish. This transformative journey from being petrified of the Chucky series to leading the pack in Netflix’s horror-comedy, Wednesday, is nothing short of astounding. Let’s unpeel this tale of terror.

Ortega spilled her macabre beans in an interview with Vanity Fair, revealing that Child’s Play, the inaugural movie of the Chucky series, scared her witless. She confessed it “fucked [her] up for years to come.” But in a rebellious facer to her dread, she rewatched the movie. Even while the terror persisted, she grew oddly attracted, noting that she’d developed a peculiar fascination for “something that scared” her.

Ortega proved her mettle in horror films before we even saw her strutting her skills on Wednesday. The actress, who played Tara Carpenter in the 2022 Scream and the following year’s sequel, Scream VI, also scored a memorable part in a Ti West horror, X. This was well before she dipped her toes – and fully dived, rather – into the Tim Burton horror-drama-campy universe.

Navigating Petite Chills and Grand Thrills

Ortega’s alliance with visionary director Burton spans beyond Wednesday, where she tactfully balanced her creepy charm with wholesome comedy. This tuning resonates with Burton’s Beetlejuice, where Ortega will soon make an appearance as Astrid Deetz. The rising actress’s penchant for the eerie aligns her trajectory with Burton’s, and we suspect more spine-tingling ventures on the way.

Ortega’s magnetism towards horror seems destiny-bound. Tracing back her career path, her stint with Child’s Play illuminates as a pivotal point. The film marked the birth of one of the most celebrated horror franchises. As Ortega continues to reign as the scream queen, we can’t discount the possibility of her association with Chucky franchises in the not-so-distant future.

The chillingly charismatic star, it seems, is just beginning to unleash her terror. She makes the scares seem fun, and we can’t wait for more of her spine-tingling performances.