Jenna Ortega has revealed the actor that she most admires, as well as her all-time favourite film.
The Wednesday and Scream star was asked the questions by fans and responded in a Stories reel on Instagram earlier today (January 9).
Replying to the inquiry about her favourite actor, Ortega wrote: “Too hard, but I do love Harry Dean Stanton. Paris, Texas is one of my favorite movies. Also Cool Hand Luke.. Wild at Heart, I’ve recently gotten into Twin Peaks. Just a great lineup and steals scenes for me everytime (Repo Man too!).”
Harry Dean Stanton’s film career spanned six decades, earning him a cult reputation. He played Carl Rodd, the manager of the Fat Trout Trailer Park, in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and in addition to the other titles mentioned by Ortega, he also had roles in Alien, Escape From New York and a minor role in The Godfather Part II.
Later in the same Stories reel, Ortega responded to another question asking her to name her favourite movie. “Impossible,” she said. “Just rewatched A Woman Under the Influence, and it feels insane.”
A Woman Under The Influence was directed by John Cassavetes and released in 1974. For her role as the titular character, Gena Rowlands was nominated for an Oscar, losing out to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
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Ortega is set to star in the upcoming psychological thriller Miller’s Girl alongside Martin Freeman. The rising actress has multiple film projects in the works, including the Michael Keaton and Winona Rider-starring Beetlejuice sequel, which will arrive more than 35 years after the 1988 original.
She will star as a new character in the film, alongside The Leftovers’ Justin Theroux and Willem Dafoe, who recently disclosed his role as a “police officer in the afterlife”.
Ortega is also scheduled to star opposite Paul Rudd in a new A24 dark comedy entitled Death Of A Unicorn. Written and directed by Alex Scharfman, the film revolves around a man and a teenage daughter who crash into a unicorn en route to a corporate function.
The actress recently confirmed that she will not return to the Scream franchise for its upcoming sequel, following her starring role as Tara Carpenter in this year’s Scream VI and its 2022 predecessor.
On the television front, Ortega will reprise her breakout role as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday, which was recently confirmed for a second season. In May, the show’s co-creator Miles Millar stated that the new episodes will explore Wednesday’s Latino roots in greater depth. “It’s so rare to find an iconic character of this stature,” he said in an interview. “We really try to find ways to [highlight that] authentically.”