Critical Content Editorial Desk | October 25, 2026
Jenna Ortega has spent much of her life working on television, and she is considering a change when her time playing Wednesday Addams eventually ends. During the October 22, 2026 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actress said she would probably be away from television for a while after Wednesday.
That statement is a possibility about her future, not a notice that she has left the Netflix series. Reports published on October 23 noted that the show has another season in its pipeline, and Ortega did not announce a specific final appearance or retirement from acting.
Why she wants to make room
Ortega explained that she worked continuously in series as a child and wants space to explore other kinds of roles. Her credits before Wednesday included Jane the Virgin and Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle. Movies, meanwhile, have provided opportunities in horror, comedy and drama.
Her comments arrived as she was promoting the film adaptation of Klara and the Sun, which gives the conversation a practical context. The distinction is between the television schedule she knows so well and the creative flexibility she hopes to develop—not between fame and obscurity.
A different relationship with public attention
In separate remarks covered by Variety, Ortega discussed limiting how often she checks audience responses to her work. She said that reading reviews or tracking box-office numbers can distract from the work itself. Those personal preferences should not be recast as a claim that the audience has rejected her projects.
The actress has already navigated the unusual situation of growing up onscreen and then becoming the face of a hugely recognizable franchise. A temporary television break, if she takes one, could be part of how she chooses her next chapter.
For fans, the key word remains may. Ortega has described what she hopes to do after Wednesday, while the exact timing of that decision remains open.
Sources and further reading
Featured image: An illustrative film camera, not an image of Jenna Ortega or the Wednesday set. Photograph by Miguel Ángel Hernández / Unsplash; used under the Unsplash License.
