- Jenna Ortega was met with backlash earlier this year after saying she changed lines in "Wednesday."
- The "Scream" star has explained why she put her "foot down" on the set of the Netflix series.
Jenna Ortega came under fire in March when she appeared on the "Armchair Expert" podcast and discussed how she changed some of her lines in "Wednesday" because she didn't think they fit the character.
Now, the 20-year-old actor appears to be defending her actions in a roundtable interview for The Hollywood Reporter.
Ortega explained that she's had roles in the past where she felt her opinions were dismissed on set.
"I've had experiences in TV where I felt my voice wasn't heard, that I was meant to be a puppet," she said. "I've been told on sets, 'You wouldn't know because you're not a writer,' or, 'Just shut up and do your job.' From 12 years old, I've been hearing things like that. So, I went into 'Wednesday' with hesitance."
The "X" and "You" star went on to say that she didn't want to just be a "people pleaser" while shooting the Netflix series, which is why she was determined to make sure her voice was "heard."
Ortega explained: "I think that because I'm someone who is very opinionated or because I know what it's like to be a people pleaser in this industry, and I know how unhappy or how frustrating it's been in the past, when I went into 'Wednesday' I really put my foot down and made it clear that everything that I had to say mattered and was heard."
The actor also said that she's grateful to work with director and producer Tim Burton on "Wednesday," explaining how he wanted to collaborate directly with her on the character.
"But I was fortunate to be working with someone like Tim Burton, who pulled me in his trailer one day and said that he wanted to be a soundboard for my voice," she added. "So, every day, me, him, the writers, we'd get together in the morning and go through sides."
The star said that she ultimately enjoyed working with the writers, and noted that she feels lucky to be working with them again on "Wednesday" season two. This time, Ortega will also be a producer.
"And as the show went on, we all got a better feel for one another and it's become a really collaborative experience, and I feel really lucky to be able to be in the room early next season and be talking about scripts and giving notes," she said.