The one role Jenna Ortega is desperate to play in a movie: “A dream character for me”
There is perhaps no actor working today who has made creative choices as baffling as Jenna Ortega. Given that she is an avid cinephile and regularly shares her thoughts on everything from her favourite Jean-Luc Godard film to the lighting choices in Paris, Texas, her recent string of projects makes no sense as some of the most god-awful films to grace our screens. From her absolutely catastrophic 2024 film Miller’s Girl, with a script so awful that it is hard to imagine anyone ever read it and genuinely wanted to be a part of it, to the recent failure of Death of a Unicorn, you would never know that Ortega loves movies by watching the movies she stars in.
But who knows the true reasons as to why she has starred in these projects? Perhaps it is a tactic being encouraged by her agents/managers in an attempt to establish her presence in Hollywood, with some opting for the method of starring in everything and being selective after reaching a certain level of fame. But given that Ortega is one of the most sought-after actors of her generation, this particular approach doesn’t really make sense, as surely her current star status could grant her the power to work with whoever she wants.
Because of this, maybe we can conclude that these choices have been entirely down to Ortega’s free will, something that feels incredibly jarring given her clear appreciation for the medium and passion for great films. So why does her excellent taste not translate to the projects she chooses to star in?
While it is a confusing predicament, there are signs that this is perhaps changing, with Ortega being announced as playing the lead character in the highly anticipated film adaptation of Klara and the Sun, based on the novel written by Kazuo Ishiguro. Maybe this will mark a turn in her career, with the source material that the film is based on hopefully pointing towards an equally good script.
But besides this, Ortega has also expressed her interest in another role that she is dying to play, with the actor sharing one character she is most drawn towards. When discussing this, Ortega said, “An actress that I love, and it’s something that I’ve talked with Tim a lot, The Passion Of Joan Of Arc, the Dreyer film. Renée Falconetti’s performance in that is absolutely insane. I feel like a dream character for me would be Joan Of Arc.”
The original film was directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer in 1928, following the story of the infamous teenage warrior. It’s an epic tale that is known by audiences of all ages, and perhaps would be the perfect role for Ortega should they ever decide to remake it.
Maria Falconetti played the titular character in the original film, with a stellar performance that is as bold and defiant as Joan of Arc herself. Perhaps by speaking it into existence, it might just happen, and it would definitely be a welcome change in Ortega’s filmography and put her career on a path that reflects the movies she loves.
