Jenna Ortega Says Mom Watched Her Like a 'Hawk' During Disney Channel Years

Ortega starred on the Disney Channel series 'Stuck in the Middle' from 2016 to 2018.

By Megan Behnke

Jenna Ortega is the latest former child star to reveal what it was like growing up on set. Before starring in Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the actress' big break came with the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle. She portrayed Harley Diaz, a child inventor who was quite literally stuck in the middle of her family with six siblings. The series ran for three seasons from 2016 to 2018.

Via Variety, Ortega told the New York Times her experience as a child star, revealing that her mom played a big part in her protection both on-set and off. It's why her mother had such a strong reaction after watching the Quiet on Set documentary, which took a close look at the toxic work environment on the set of Nickelodeon shows and the abuse, racism, and more that both child actors and staff went through.

"I think for her, it was more pain because she had seen the way that other children maybe weren't protected or weren't as looked after," Ortega said. "She watched over me like a hawk, so I think for her, it was more empathizing and wishing she somehow could have done something to help. She just called me saying she was so grateful that things were ok and that she was there to witness everything."

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(Photo: Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)

After the documentary, though, Ortega is much more understanding about why her parents weren't completely onboard when she initially wanted to be an actor, "because you're putting a child in an adult workplace." Ortega continued, "I think if I had just stayed growing up in Coachella Valley, I would be a completely different person. I wouldn't speak the way that I do or approach interactions the way that I do. It's completely changed my way of thinking and going about life, and when I speak to other child actors, I can pick them out instantly because we all have that — it's just very specific, like some secret little language or something that we all share."

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"Children aren't supposed to be working like that," she said. "They are supposed to be climbing trees and drawing and going to school. Some of those kids' parents don't even take school seriously, so I feel really, really fortunate to have had parents who made sure that I hung out with friends, made sure that I went to public school, and wouldn't allow me to work on a job unless I had straight A's and was prioritizing my sleep and my schoolwork."

Jenna Ortega made her acting debut in 2012 in episodes of Rob and CSI: NY when she was just 10 years old and had continued to book roles in both film and television throughout the years, including Jane the Virgin, before landing Stuck in the Middle. It sounds like it really helped that her parents were so supportive and protective and wanted her to have a normal life as long as she could, even while acting. That kind of support and protection can definitely go a long way, especially for young actors.

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