Jenna Ortega says Disney Channel taught her to treat every encounter with a fan as a potentially once-in-a-lifetime moment for that person. Years later, she’s still working out when to say no, including when someone asks for a photo and she feels unsafe.
On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she told Josh Horowitz that the message from her childhood media training has “never left” her. Ortega starred in Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle from 2016 to 2018 and attended training sessions to prepare for interviews promoting the show.
She recalled being told: “Every time someone meets you, it’s probably the only time they’re ever going to interact with you, like that’s a very special moment in their lives. So just be aware of that.”
Her response, with a laugh: “No pressure!”
Ortega said she’s trying to give herself permission to set limits. “And sometimes I try to give myself grace, and I’m trying to have better boundaries.” That includes deciding whether she wants to stop for a photo with an adult stranger or whether an encounter feels safe.
“Kids and things like that, of course. It is a lot though. And, again, it’s sweet. Some of the interactions are so sweet, and then some of them are a little bit more embarrassing or aggressive or mean,” she said.
“And it’s hard to know what the balance is. But you just… I do what I can.”