A dynamic performer knows how to dress the part, embody a character, and intoxicate an audience. Jenna Ortega has mastered performance.
The former child star rose to fame with her Disney Channel roles and went viral for the epic dance number she improvised as Wednesday in Netflix’s “Addams Family” reboot. Yet in a world of performance, Jenna sits with us to discuss very relatable girl life things. She loves her friends, has low days, and is vocal about Palestine.
Her realness is the very reason she has become Dior’s ambassador for their Rouge Dior campaign. Directed by Gordon Von Steiner and shot by photographer Oliver Hadlee Pearch, Jenna fiercely plays with the spotlight, emboldened by lipstick. She wears a blue-tone redwood (390 Redwood Star) and a rosy nude beige (120 Iconic Rose).
Cosmopolitan Middle East joins Jenna across time zones in a video call to unpack her audacity. And for the modern and feminine woman, audacity often starts with lipstick.
Cosmo ME: Hi Jenna, wow, love the hair! I’m Nancy, Cosmo Middle East’s Acting Deputy Editor, calling in from Dubai. Where are you currently calling in from?
Jenna: Appreciate it. I love yours too. Thank you. I’m in London.
CosmoME: Jumping into it, let’s talk about all things lip. Do you remember the first time you wore lipstick and felt powerful?
Jenna: Honestly, the first time I ever wore black lipstick because it was so bizarre. Growing up, I didn’t wear a lot of makeup but then I had a photo shoot. I was wearing this big dress that pooled all around my feet and I was laying down on this vintage couch and there was floral wallpaper everywhere. It was a doll house. I remember that was the first time I really also started to understand editorial shoots as a performance. As a character and as a persona, that was the first time I understood the impact that makeup could have and how someone might carry themselves. It’s like you put on a certain outfit and you decide what your personality is gonna be that day. At that point the makeup took over and it didn’t even matter what I was wearing.
CosmoME: That resonates with me. I saw an article about you and method glamming. Can you talk more about creative ways people can play with Rough Dior beyond traditionally just wearing lipstick?
Jenna: I’m somebody who finds products and sticks to them. I just absolutely abuse them. When it comes to like lip shades, also for the sake of a cohesive look, I like using it for different things. Some days I might use it as an eyeliner or as a blush. Sometimes I change the shape of my lip as much as I can without it looking crazy – emphasize the cupid bow, stronger color on the bottom, or mixing shades.With these Dior shades, it’s so easy to layer. You could keep it simple or you could build and make it something really strong. Redwood star is the specific shade that I like because it suits my skin tone so well. Oftentimes it’s the only thing I want or need. I encourage people to look at makeup kind of like it’s your painting. Create a canvas, do weird shapes. Just doing makeup is so therapeutic and telling of who you are.
CosmoME: As an artist, how do you dare to be different?
Jenna: The last couple of years, I felt a greater need to hide or kind of hold on to myself. I’m coming out the other end of that. I feel more assured in who I am and what I want from this world. I don’t want to sacrifice my experience on this planet due to greater powers or things that are beyond me. So sometimes you need the confidence of a lip to take power back. Some days I show up to work with a strong lip on, even though I know they’re gonna wipe it off in the first ten minutes. It’s just for the sake of taking that time with myself in the morning setting the tone.
CosmoME: Setting the tone is an absolutely great way to put it. I activate myself with lip gloss.
Jenna: Exactly, like I arrived.
CosmoME: Beauty has a power to subtly tell stories and you’ve been vocal about your beliefs. What stories are you trying to tell when you apply lipstick or makeup?
Jenna: With the obsession with perfection in social media, I think it’s so important to appreciate and respect the authenticity of what a human is and the way that self expression takes place. I kind of prefer when things aren’t exactly perfect. When I do my makeup or when I put these outfits on, I want you to be able to tell that I did some of these things myself. Play with makeup but I’m also not gonna try to turn into a completely different person.
CosmoME: Before you specifically step into the spotlight or red carpet, do you have any routines?
Jenna: I get overwhelmed very, very easily, so I have to put in extra work to calm myself down before something. I spend time with my friends. I’m really fortunate to work with people that I love and just enjoy the company of. We’ll just hang out for a while and talk and play games. Music is also really important to me. I always have my headphones on or I’m DJing because I want to set the tone or decide how I want to go into things. I think I need my moments of solitude. I am really getting into meditating recently. Yeah, so that has been like a really transformative piece in my routine. So, yeah, just making sure that I’m in a head space where I feel comfortable and relaxed.
CosmoME: You spoke about how you stay grounded. How do you practice confidence under the spotlight?
Jenna: Well, sometimes I don’t and it’s okay. Anytime you show up to these things or you get invited to events with red carpets, you do have a seat at the table. You were asked to be there, so maybe there’s reassurance in that. I’m just grateful that people are attentive and are being supportive. All I can do is really take that in and carry myself in a way that feels authentic to me. I’m really appreciative of the people who show up and I want them to feel that, see that, and respond to that. So that’s usually my focus.