Jenna Ortega Reveals the Horror Movie That Left Her “Traumatized”

Jenna Ortega has quickly become one of the most recognizable faces in the modern horror landscape. Her performances in the ‘Scream’ franchise and the smash hit series ‘Wednesday’ have cemented her status as a genuine scream queen. She navigates scenes filled with gore and suspense with a professional ease that suggests she is fearless. It is easy for fans to imagine that she has always loved the thrill of a scary movie. However, the actress recently shared that she was actually quite easily frightened as a child.

There was one specific film that made a lasting impact on her when she was very young. Ortega admitted that the 1988 classic ‘Child’s Play’ was the source of significant childhood trauma. The movie features a possessed Good Guy doll named Chucky who goes on a murderous rampage. This concept is terrifying enough for adults but it was overwhelming for a preschooler. Ortega was only around four or five years old when she first saw the film.

The viewing happened entirely by accident during a night when her parents were out. Her mother and father were attending a parent-teacher conference and had left her uncle in charge of the house. He was watching the movie and Ortega decided to sneak a peek. She described herself as a stubborn child who wanted to see what the adults were doing. She peered around a corner and unfortunately witnessed the killer doll in action.

The effect on the young girl was immediate and paralyzed her with fear. She fled to her room and hid inside her sibling’s closet to escape the imaginary threat. Ortega recalled staying there for about 30 minutes while rocking back and forth. She was absolutely convinced that the doll from the television was going to come and get her. Her family eventually found her in the closet still trembling from the experience.

That single accidental viewing caused the actress to have nightmares for years afterward. She noted that the movie “messed her up” for a long time and made her scared of her own toys. It took a while for her to overcome the fear instilled by the red-headed doll. The experience stands in stark contrast to her current life on horror movie sets.

Today she works alongside similar practical effects and puppets without blinking an eye. She recently starred in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ which utilizes many practical creatures that might have scared her younger self. It is an ironic twist of fate that the girl who hid in a closet from Chucky now stars in some of the biggest horror projects in Hollywood. She has learned to embrace the genre that once gave her sleepless nights.

Tell us in the comments if you have a specific movie that terrified you as a child and why it sticks with you.