Jenna Ortega has blamed her Disney Channel media training for ruining her sense of boundaries.
One of Jenna’s early acting roles was on TV show Stuck in the Middle from 2016 to 2018, and she had to undergo several training sessions to prep her for dealing with journalists while promoting the series.
However, speaking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Jenna admitted that taking part in the training had a lasting effect on her - and not in a positive way.
She recalled: “When I was young, and I was on Disney Channel, they took us to media training, right?
“And they told us, you know, ‘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.’”
Jenna laughed: “No pressure!”
She added that the words of warning have “never left” her.
Jenna continued: “And sometimes I try to give myself grace, and I’m trying to have better boundaries.”
The training means that Jenna isn’t always particularly open to meeting people, but is doing her best to improve in that respect.
She said: “So maybe if I feel like it’s not so safe of a situation or maybe I don’t want to stop and agree to take a photo with a random grown man.
“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.
“And it’s hard to know what the balance is. But you just… I do what I can.”
Jenna, who can next be seen in the highly-anticipated movie Klara and the Sun, recently opened up about her struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder, telling Vogue that she first started displacing OCD tendencies at the tender age of just seven.
She now uses medication and therapy to help, while her job is also a major factor in aiding her mental health.
Jenna told the publication: “You have to breathe (when the cameras are rolling). That’s another reason why I like my job.”