Jenna Ortega Sets Her Sights on Directing: “That’s the Way My Brain Wants to Work”

Jenna Ortega is ready to take a seat behind the camera. While promoting Hurry Up Tomorrow, The Weeknd’s upcoming film in which she stars, the actress opened up in a joint V Magazine interview with the singer about her long-standing desire to direct. Ortega revealed she’s finally taking steps to realize a decade-old vision. “I have a script that I’ve known that I was going to make for almost 10 years,” she said. “It’s only now that I’m actually starting to take the steps to get it made, which is really interesting.”

Ortega credited her recent experience producing the second season of Wednesday with giving her new insight into the behind-the-scenes mechanics of storytelling. “There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that I wasn’t aware of,” she explained. “I think I needed a few years of that under my belt to understand the order of doing things.” The actress, best known for her roles in Scream and Wednesday, said the timing finally feels right to begin building her future as a filmmaker. In addition to the personal script she’s been nurturing, Ortega shared that she’s developing other projects inspired by writers and characters she hasn't yet had the chance to explore as an actor.

When asked by The Weeknd if she plans to star in the film she’s working on, Ortega was candid about her priorities. “This one in particular, I see myself in it, but I really want to direct. That’s probably the main thing that I want to do,” she said. “I don’t want to be in the things that I create in the future, but starting out, because I’ve created more leverage for myself with a name as an actor, I may as well use that as a stepping stone.” With an increasingly active role behind the camera, Ortega’s next chapter may cement her not just as a rising screen presence, but as a creative force shaping stories on her own terms.