Jenna Ortega Thought She Had a Crush on Barack Obama at 6. Turns Out, She Just 'Wanted His Job'
Jenna Ortega Thought She Had a Crush on Barack Obama at 6. Turns Out, She Just 'Wanted His Job'
Virginia ChamleeSat, April 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC
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Jenna Ortega, Barack Obama, Oprah WinfreyCredit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty;Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty;Steve Granitz/FilmMagic -
Jenna Ortega says that before she got into acting, she wanted to get into politics
In a new interview, the Wednesday actress said her political ambitions were sparked during the Obama administration
“When I was 6, I was really into politics, and Obama got inaugurated that year. So I would write him letters," the actress recounted
Jenna Ortega is reflecting on her early career auditions, which didn't always include Hollywood.
Speaking on a recent episode of Big Bro with Kid Cudi, a Wave Original, the Wednesday actress shared that before pursuing acting, she had her sights set on a very different career path: politics.
Ortega, 23, said her interest in politics was sparked during the presidency of Barack Obama— whom she at one point even tried to reach out to directly.
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Jenna OrtegaCredit: Amy Sussman/Getty
“When I was 6, I was really into politics, and Obama got inaugurated that year. So I would write him letters, 'Hey, love your work. Can I come to the White House?' ... and he never responded,” Ortega said.
At the time, she equated her interest to a childhood crush — but later realized her intentions were far more ambitious.
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“I used to think it was like a crush of some sorts, but I just wanted his job. Like I wanted to go to the White House to get an understanding of okay, the Oval Office is going to be my space,” she continued.
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When her letters went unanswered, Ortega didn’t give up — instead trying another route to the president: media icon Oprah Winfrey.
“And then I started writing Oprah because I saw a photo of them together in a magazine and I was like, 'Hey Oprah, I know you know Obama...he's not getting back to me,' ” she said.
Though her political aspirations didn’t ultimately pan out, Ortega went on to find success in the entertainment industry by landing roles as early as 12, appearing on Jane the Virgin and Stuck in the Middle.
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