Jenna Ortega has established herself as a “final girl” in the film industry—the last remaining character to survive in a horror movie—due to her penchant for picking up parts in darker movies with scary and spooky themes.
Ortega enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame by playing Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday (2022), which cemented her prowess in gothic-themed entertainment. She continues with this theme as Astrid Deetz in Tim Burton’s upcoming film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). Ortega also recently made an appearance alongside singer Sabrina Carpenter in the music video for Taste.
These appearances all reference famous images and outfits from pop culture classics. Tatler highlights five times Ortega got it right both on and off-screen
Read more: A style guide of iconic looks in Wong Kar-wai movies
‘Death Becomes Her’ (1992) in ‘Taste’
Jenna Ortega and Sabrina Carpenter in the ‘Taste’ music video (Photo: Instagram / @jennaortega)
While there were a number of cult dark comedy films referenced in Sabrina Carpenter’s Taste music video, one of the overarching themes was the constant back and forth of comically violent attacks by two fabulous dressed arch enemies who won’t seem to die—reflecting the plot of the camp classic Death Becomes Her (1992) starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. Ortega and Carpenter don high glamour in many of their ensembles, and even recreate the memorable shotgun-blast-so-hard-it-leaves-a-hole-in-your-abdomen moment, too.
Beetlejuice’s classic look reimaginged
Jenna Ortega at a press event for ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (Photo: Instagram / @jennaortega)
One of the most memorable elements of the 1988 film Beetlejuice was the titular character’s eye-catching black and white suit that enhanced actor Michael Keaton’s otherworldly performance. Ortega has been echoing these design elements in the outfits she has sported during the press trip for the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (in which she plays Astrid, daughter of the original character Lydia Deetz), including this pinstripe top with satin buttons and a coordinating pencil skirt by Dolce and Gabbana.
‘Kill Bill: Volume 1’ (2003) in ‘Taste’
Jenna Ortega and Sabrina Carpenter in the ‘Taste’ music video (Photo: Instagram / @jennaortega)
In another tongue-in-cheek horror moment in Taste, Ortega sported a striking white nurse’s outfit, complete with a hat and an eyepatch, à la Daryl Hannah’s assassin Elle Driver in Quentin Tarantino’s renowned Kill Bill: Volume 1. She had the malicious glare down pat while trying to sabotage Carpenter’s recovery and nailed the evil nurse trope.
Wednesday Addams takes the Met Gala
Jenna Ortega at the 2023 Met Gala (Photo: Instagram / @jennaortega)
At the 2023 Met Gala, of which the theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, Ortego sported a custom Thom Browne ensemble that referenced the moody boarding school uniform elements worn by her character Wednesday Addams from the Netflix hit Wednesday. It also referenced the character’s look—signature dark pinafores and dresses—from The Addams Family film (1991) and the original television series by the same name (1964).
‘Carrie’ (1976) in ‘Wednesday’ (2022)
Jenna Ortega in ‘Wednesday’ (Photo: Instagram / @jennaortega)
Carrie (1976) is a supernatural horror film that changed the way the public looked at school dances and was an excellent reference shown on Wednesday (2022). Rather than Ortega’s character being targeted for her differences using a bucket of pig’s blood, the entire hall is showered with red paint while she stands there disappointed that the culprit didn’t go all the way for the full, horrifying effect.
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