Los Angeles [US], October 23 (ANI): Actress Jenna Ortega has revealed that she plans to step away from television for a while after completing her work on Netflix's hit series ‘Wednesday’, saying she wants to make room for new opportunities in her career, according to Page Six.
During an appearance on Josh Horowitz's ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, released on Thursday, Ortega spoke about her future projects and said she had not had many discussions about joining other franchises.
“I actually haven’t had a lot of franchise conversations. I haven’t,” Ortega said, according to Page Six.
“But what I’m meant to do will come and find me,” she continued. “I think after ‘Wednesday,’ I’ll probably be off the TV for a while.”
The actress, now 24, explained that she had spent several years moving between television projects from a young age and wanted to explore different opportunities, according to Page Six.
“I was bouncing from show to show as a kid, this to this, and I want to leave time for new things,” she said.
Ortega is set to reprise her role as Wednesday Addams, the gothic daughter of the Addams family, in the upcoming third season of the series, which is scheduled to release in 2027, according to Page Six.
She will return alongside co-stars Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in the Tim Burton-directed series.
Netflix announced in February that production on the third season had begun, with Ortega's ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ co-star Winona Ryder joining the cast alongside Eva Green. In September, the streaming platform announced that production on the season had concluded.
Since its premiere in 2022, ‘Wednesday’ has emerged as a major hit for Netflix, earning four Emmy Awards to date, while Ortega has also received recognition through award nominations. The show's second season premiered in 2025, according to Page Six.
Ortega has worked in television and films since the early 2010s, appearing in series such as ‘Jane the Virgin’, ‘Stuck in the Middle’ and ‘You’. Her film credits include ‘Iron Man 3’ (2013), ‘The Fallout’ (2021), ‘X’ (2022) and ‘Death of a Unicorn’ (2025).
The actress has previously spoken about the pressures of working in the entertainment industry from a young age. Earlier this year, she recalled going an entire day without eating or drinking while working on a set as a child actor.
Her decision to take a possible break from television follows other career choices that have seen her step away from established franchises.
Ortega exited the ‘Scream’ franchise after appearing in ‘Scream’ (2022) and ‘Scream VI’ (2023). In a 2025 interview with The Cut, she explained that her decision was partly influenced by the departure of her co-star Melissa Barrera, who was fired from the franchise after expressing support for Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Ortega also cited the planned absence of directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin from ‘Scream VII’, released in 2026, according to Page Six.
“The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart,” Ortega told the publication.
“If ‘Scream VII’ wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time,” she added.
Ortega has also revealed that she once considered leaving acting altogether before landing her role in ‘You’. Speaking with her ‘X’ co-star Kid Cudi on his podcast earlier this year, she reflected on the uncertainty she faced at the time.
“It just felt like a good time to call it quits if I was going to,” she said, according to Page Six.
With the third season of ‘Wednesday’ on the horizon, Ortega's latest comments suggest that she may reassess her television commitments after the series, while leaving open the possibility of exploring new creative directions. (ANI)
“I want to leave time for new things”: Jenna Ortega plans TV break after ‘Wednesday’
