Jenna Ortega’s Best Movies & TV Shows

Thanks to a meteoric rise, there are great projects among Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows. The talented actress began her career early in life, with her very first role being that of a young girl in the CBS sitcom Rob, season 1, episode 6, “The Baby Bug,” at just 10 years old. Since then, Ortega has gone from bit parts in films and TV shows to a leading lady over her 10-year career in the industry, appearing alongside major names like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Courteney Cox, and Luis Guzmán.

Most people were introduced to Jenna Ortega when she starred in the Netflix drama You season 2, but she’s been on the screen long before then. As of late, Ortega has taken to the horror genre, making her a modern-day scream queen. In her horror projects, Ortega has been both the red herring and the final girl, and she’s slowly making her way into becoming a horror icon thanks to the rebooted Scream franchise. That being said, not everything Ortega has starred in has been a hit, but that at least makes it easier to rank Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows.

16 Iron Man 3 (2013)

It will come as a surprise that Jenna Ortega had a role in the MCU. Of course, that’s because it was a minor role and came so many years ago that she could one day land a totally new part in the franchise and most people wouldn’t be any wiser about it. Ortega appeared in Iron Man 3, the end of the trilogy centered on Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark.

She had a small part as the daughter of the Vice President who is one of many people that Tony Stark needs to save. The film was well-received by critics though some fans didn’t like the changes made to the source material. While it’s one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows, her role is so small she’s hardly noticeable.

15 Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

The Insidious franchise is actually one of the most impressive among horror films. Most of the entries were met with solid acclaim, including the sequel to the 2010 debut, Insidious: Chapter 2. The movie brought back most of the original cast, including Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne.

The series is boosted by horror master James Wan being in the director’s chair. While seen as lesser than the original due to a lack of surprises, this still mostly worked. Jenna Ortega was still very young when this was released and had a small role as a girl named Annie. Like, Iron Man 3, Insidious 2 is one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows, but her part is so scant despite the fact she’s proven she could act at an early age thanks to Jane the Virgin.

14 Rake (2014)

Rake premiered on Fox and was led by the always solid Greg Kinnear as the protagonist, Keegan Deane. He’s a self-destructive criminal defense lawyer in the legal drama who ends up in trouble with everyone around him. The show is actually an adaptation of a popular Australian TV series. That version lasted 40 episodes, while this one only made it to 13 before being canceled. Jenna Ortega had a small recurring role as Zoe Leon, the daughter of Ben (Keegan’s best friend) and Scarlet (a Los Angeles ADA). It’s one of Jenna Ortega’s best movie and TV shows because she was finally given a bigger part.

13 American Carnage (2022)

While American Carnage is one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows and she features in a starring role, the film itself has drawn comparisons and is similar to Get Out, but not in a good way. In American Carnage, a governor issues an executive order of the immediate arrest of children of immigrants, including Ortega’s Camila. In order to forgo their sentences, the teens must work at a nursing home. However, not everything turns out to be as it seems. The horror comedy tackles an important topic, but it’s overshadowed by similar yet better films.

12 Studio 666 (2022)

2022 saw Jenna Ortega become a modern-day scream queen. She had notable roles in three separate horror films, with one of them being Studio 666. Unlike her other horror movies, this had a comedic element to it. The horror film stars the Foo Fighters as themselves as they move into a haunted mansion to record a new album. Ortega appears as Skye Willow, a drummer who has an important connection to the house. It’s a small role in a film that was mostly met with a mixed reception from critics, but she makes the most of it.

11 You (2018 – Present)

Most people likely know Jenna Ortega from her role on You. The series began on Lifetime but struggled there only to find new life when it moved to Netflix, becoming one of the streaming juggernaut’s most popular shows and getting more seasons. Ortega joined the show in season 2 as Ellie Alves, the neighbor of the dangerous serial killer protagonist, Joe.

They form an interesting bond along with Ellie’s sister Delilah. Season 2 was the best-reviewed of the show and helped launch Ortega’s star status. It is one of Jenna Ortega’s best roles, but her character is largely forgotten after season 2. Ortega discussed returning for season 4 but was busy shooting another show (via Independent).

10 Jane The Virgin (2014-2019)

When you consider that one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows Jane the Virgin spanned 100 episodes, you would think that someone who only appeared in fewer than 30 installments didn’t play a major part. However, Jenna Ortega’s run in the popular telenovela is actually pivotal to the story. Throughout the show, Ortega would appear as young Jane. She did so more than any other actor who took on the role over time in key flashback sequences. Jane the Virgin and its best episodes won a slew of awards during its run and was consistently popular.

9 Scream (2022)

Another recent arrival on Jenna Ortega’s filmography is Scream, the fifth entry into the slasher franchise to receive the most consistently good reviews. Scream reunites the original film’s main trio as a new copycat Ghostface killer arrives to go after people with familial connections to those in the franchise’s past.

Ortega plays Tara, who bucks the series trend of being the first victim in the opening scene by surviving and playing a part going forward given that her sister is the main final girl. She reprised the role in Scream 6. While it’s one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows, Sam was fatally injured in the first scene of the movie, and Ortega’s character spent the majority of time in the hospital, not really giving her enough time to shine.

8 Big City Greens (2019 – Present)

One thing that has become clear for Jenna Ortega is that voice acting is something she seems to thrive at. One of her best but underrated roles there is in Big City Greens, another animated series on the Disney Channel. The show focuses on a family that loses their own farm and has to move to a smaller one in the middle of a city. Ortega lends her voice to a character named Gabriella, who is the rambunctious girlfriend of the central family’s son, Crickett. One of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows, she really shines as a voice actress.

7 The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020)

Before breaking out with her 2022 horror roles, Jenna Ortega impressed viewers with her turn in The Babysitter: Killer Queen. The sequel to the 2017 film directed by McG, this only added to the absurd slasher aspects of the original. While protagonist Cole was mostly on his own in the first film, this time around, he had help from Ortega’s Phoebe Atwell, a new student at his school. Again this was a case where reviews weren’t sparkling, but Ortega was a highlight, making it one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows.

6 The Fallout (2021)

If there’s any film to check out to get a real feel for how talented Jenna Ortega is as an actor, it’s The Fallout. It initially premiered at South by Southwest in 2021 before debuting on HBO Max in early 2022 and earned rave reviews for the performances and the debuting writer/director Megan Park.

The film focuses on two teen girls who form a tragic bond after they hide in the bathroom together during a school shooting. Ortega and Maddie Ziegler both deliver heartbreaking performances, and the film is fantastic but hard to watch multiple times due to the sad nature of it all. The Fallout was met with widespread acclaim and showcases Ortega’s range as a performer.

5 X (2022)

The trio of horror movies starring Jenna Ortega in 2022 is capped in terms of ratings by X. Directed by horror movie aficionado Ti West, this is an original film that pays homage to slashers of the past, specifically The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. X manages to be one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows, and while it came out after Killer Queen, it can be considered her introduction as a legitimate scream queen.

The plot follows a group who rents a home in rural Texas to make an adult movie only to be attacked by the owner of the property. Jenna Ortega shines as Lorraine Day, a shy girl helping her boyfriend direct the movie only to then choose to star in it. Ortega delivers a masterful frightened performance and a horror movie scream for the ages.

4 Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020-2022)

Speaking of voice acting roles, Jenna Ortega did that in Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. The show is an animated continuation of the iconic Jurassic Park franchise aimed at children and focusing on a group of teenagers who get trapped on an island after dinosaurs escape. It was critically acclaimed throughout its run. A lot of the adult characters on the show are voiced by talents like Stephanie Beatriz and Jameela Jamil, while Ortega plays Brooklynn, one of the main characters. Although the series only premiered in 2020, there have already been four seasons and it has won both an Annie and Emmy Award.

3 Elena Of Avalor (2016-2020)

It’s always appreciated when you can find an animated TV series that centers on a heroic female lead. That’s the case with Elena of Avalor, a Disney Channel show focused on the titular Elena, a princess who must save her kingdom from an evil sorceress. Aimee Carrero voiced the main character, but Jenna Ortega was Princess Isabel in the female-led animated show, her younger sister who was also a brilliant inventor. The series was well-received for a number of aspects, featured guest voice actors like Mark Hamill, and won multiple Emmy Awards.

2 Scream VI (2023)

The latest project in her roster and one of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows is none other than Scream VI. While it’s the only Scream movie not to include Neve Campbell, it changes the infamous setting to New York City as Ortega’s character and the rest of the survivors from Scream attend Blackmore University. Sam spent most of Scream in the hospital but is given more to do this time around in another critical darling of the series. If X didn’t do it, the Scream franchise has solidified Ortega’s place as a modern-day scream queen.

1 Wednesday (2022)

After stealing the show as a supporting character in several movies and TV shows, Jenna Ortega got a major leading role with Wednesday and knocked it out of the park. Playing the titular character, Ortega has received rave reviews for her performance. On top of that, the Tim Burton take on The Addams Family character has also been well-received. It blends the spooky with the comedy well, all anchored by Ortega, who nails every mannerism perfectly and plays well off of her co-stars, making it the best out of Jenna Ortega’s best movies and TV shows.