Jenna Ortega is reflecting on the focus she had beginning her career as a child actor and the early mistake she made.

During a sit-down with Esquire, the Wednesday actress was asked what “rookie mistake” she made while working on her first set.

“I really had it going for me as a child ‘cause I can’t think of one mistake I made,” Ortega said. “Is that a terrible thing to say? I feel like I make mistakes now all the time, but as a child, I was so grateful and so excited to be there that my game face was on.”

She went on to recall how she was so focused that she didn’t want to inconvenience anyone by asking for even food or water.

“I wasn’t asking for one sip of water,” Ortega said. “I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.”

“Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself,” she then added.

Earlier in the interview, Ortega recalled deciding to be an actor professionally when she was 7 years old.

She added, “My parents laughed at me when I told them that I wanted to do it, and then that was kind of the root of everything. The motivation. And I never really stopped, because I’m very stubborn. And then I never questioned it.”

Ortega credited Dakota Fanning for being an early creative influence on her and someone who taught her “what acting was” when she was a kid.

When also asked to set the record straight on a stereotype for child actors, she quipped, “Is it wrong to say that a lot of them are true? And do with that what you will.”

In April, Ortega also reflected on almost walking away from acting. During an appearance on pal Kid Cudi’s podcast, Big Bro, the actress revealed that she was about to start high school when she felt like “it was a good run.“ However, things changed when she booked the show, You. “We had talked about it for a few months with my team, and then, I think I booked that show You, and then I went on that set, and I loved it and had the best time,” Ortega said about the Netflix series starring Penn Badgley. “I thought, ‘Yeah, there’s no way I could let this go.’”

Ortega’s early credits included CSI: NY, Know It All Nina, Richie Rich and Stuck in the Middle, as well as a film role in Iron Man 3. She later portrayed the younger version of Jane on Jane the Virgin in 2014.

The actress is next set to star in Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun, an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel.

The guest list at Willy Wonka’s factory is extending to Nicola Coughlan, Charithra Chandran, Samson Kayo, Christopher Chung, Kate Winslet and Helena Bonham Carter.

These are the latest names to join the voice cast of Netflix‘s Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, alongside previously announced stars Kit Connor as Charlie Paley and Taika Waititi as Willy Wonka.

The new film from Netflix Animation Studios will open wide globally in theaters on Nov. 5, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on Dec. 22. Sony Pictures Entertainment will handle international distribution for the global theatrical release. This is a six-week theatrical window for the movie, another high mark for the streamer.

In Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, “Wonka (Waititi) has spent the years since the infamous Golden Ticket contest behind bars — and not the chocolate kind — for the crime of turning a child into a blueberry. Having served his time, he returns to his factory determined to add a little sweetness to a bitter world. But one thing stands in his way: Charlie Paley (Connor) and his friends. Facing eviction, this next generation of so-called “rotten” kids hatch a plan to break into the factory, steal a priceless Wonka Bar, and save their homes. Like the children who came before them, however, they soon discover that the fantastical world inside the factory may be more than they can chew…”

Directed by Jared Stern and Elaine Bogan, Aron Warner and Timothy Yoo are producing, and Waititi is an executive producer.

The streamer said today the movie will feature original songs, new characters, and a few familiar faces in the Roald Dahl adaptation.

​​Netflix is also extending the project beyond the screen and onto store shelves through two collaborations. Ferrero Group will launch its Wonka range with 10 seasonal and limited-edition products across chocolate, sugar confectionery, ice cream, and cereal in the US and select European markets, including the UK, France, Italy, and Germany. Additionally, Moose Toys was recently announced as the master toy partner for the film. The toy line will launch in 2027 closer to the film’s release.

EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to Sundance dramedy Run Amok, the feature directorial debut of NB Mager.

The Tandem Pictures and Greenmachine production stars Alyssa Marvin, Margaret Cho, Sophia Torres, Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Camp, Yul Vazquez, Grace Reiter, Jim Kaplan, Nuha Jes, Pilot Bunch, Molly Ringwald, and Patrick Wilson.

Greenwich plans to release the film in theaters early next year after the company’s Andy Bohn negotiated the deal with CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.

In Run Amok, “a” teenage girl stages an elaborate musical about the one day her high school wishes it could forget, a school shooting. Her artistic endeavor brings her into conflict with the adults in her community, whose platitudes and empty promises obscure the genuine needs of the students.”

Pic was produced by Tandem Pictures’ Julie Christeas and Greenmachine’s Frank Hall Green with executive producers Patrick Wilson, Allison Franco, Tom Franco, Tad Selby, Derek Strum, Joav Bally, Allison Stockel, Jon Stockel, Lela Meadow-Conner, Jaykant R. Patel, Rajesh Penta, Rama Penta, Andy Bruer, Elia Petridis, Jay Rittberg, Ken Hayes, Brian Troy and Ahish Bansal.

“Run Amok is a modern coming-of-age story that unflinchingly mirrors the times we live in— so it always had to walk a fine line between humor and pain, absurdity and heartbreak,” said director NB Mager. “Greenwich felt like the ideal partner from our first conversation— they have the sort of vision, daring, and authenticity that perfectly encapsulates Run Amok‘s fearless young protagonists.”