Jenna Ortega says she will probably stay off television for a while once Netflix’s Wednesday ends. The 24-year-old actress made the comments on the October 22, 2026 episode of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast while promoting Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun.
“I actually haven’t had a lot of franchise conversations,” Ortega said. “What I’m meant to do will come and find me. I think after Wednesday, I’ll probably be off the TV for a while. You know I had many years doing [TV]. I was bouncing from show to show as a kid and I want to leave time for new things.” The wording was measured. She did not announce she is quitting acting, exiting the series immediately, or ruling out future television work. She simply described a planned pause after the show concludes.
Ortega began acting professionally at age nine. Early credits included guest spots on Rob and CSI: NY, a recurring role as young Jane on Jane the Virgin, Darcy on Netflix’s Richie Rich, and the lead as Harley Diaz on Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle from 2016 to 2018. She later played Ellie Alves on Season 2 of You and voiced characters in animated series including Elena of Avalor and Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous. By her late teens she had also appeared in films such as Iron Man 3, Insidious: Chapter 2, and The Fallout before landing major horror roles in Scream, X, and The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Wednesday, which premiered in 2022, turned her into a global star.
She has spoken before about preferring film after years of steady television work. In 2023 she told The Sunday Times that she had done so much TV that “all I’ve ever wanted to do is film.” An August 2026 Esquire interview described the series as “coming to a head” and noted she was preparing for the next chapter of her career. On the podcast she also discussed early doubts about Wednesday, saying she struggled to watch the first episodes and initially felt she was not connecting with Tim Burton’s quiet directing style. The sudden worldwide reaction, she said, “felt like some sick mind game,” and she remains “a little confused” by the scale of the show’s success.
Season 3 of Wednesday wrapped production in late September 2026 after filming that included Ireland and Paris. Netflix has indicated a 2027 premiere. Returning cast members include Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Emma Myers as Enid, and others, with new additions such as Eva Green as Aunt Ophelia and Winona Ryder. There has been no official announcement that Season 3 is the final season or that Ortega is leaving the series. Her comments address what she wants after the show ends, not during its current run.
Her film schedule is already dense. Klara and the Sun, in which she plays an Artificial Friend opposite Amy Adams, opened in theaters on October 23, 2026. Cathy Yan’s dark comedy thriller The Gallerist, co-starring Natalie Portman, is set for a December 4, 2026 theatrical release. J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi fantasy The Great Beyond, featuring Glen Powell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Emma Mackey, is scheduled for October 1, 2027. She is also attached to the gymnastics drama Nasty with Rose Byrne, directed by Mary Bronstein, and has been linked to other projects including a Single White Female remake. On the podcast she mentioned studying physical preparation, including Arnold Schwarzenegger films, for the gymnastics role and seeking parts with greater emotional range.
Ortega’s statement reflects a deliberate shift after more than a decade of near-constant television work that began in childhood and continued through the multi-year demands of Wednesday. She is not stepping away from acting. She is creating space for the film projects already lined up and for whatever comes next once the Netflix series concludes. Speculation that Season 3 will be the show’s last remains unconfirmed.
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Sources include statements from the October 22, 2026 Happy Sad Confused podcast, reporting by The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety, and production updates from Netflix on Wednesday Season 3.
