“The Fallout” star Jenna Ortega on the horror of school shootings: “It could happen anywhere, anytime”

HBOM Drama Max Fall It describes a scenario that has become all too real: a school shooting in which young people are killed or injured. An incredible tragedy in Walde, Texas is the latest horrific example of a problem that has become so endemic in the United States. Actress Jenna Ortega stars in a film written and directed by Megan Park, which portrays a teenage survivor of the attack struggling with the trauma she endured. Ortega explores an aspect that is sometimes overlooked after such a devastating event: the long-term emotional impact on the surviving children.

Deadline: What thoughts did you have while making this film that included such an exciting theme?

Jenna Ortega: A project like this is so relevant and sadly so real that I think it made me a little nervous because of course, I just want to be respectful of anyone who has experienced something like this. It is a very sensitive subject. But after meeting Megan, the writer / director, who is so wonderful and put so much time and effort into this project because I knew she came from a place of respect and kindness and had been educated on the subject, I felt safe. . Keep on.

Deadline: You started acting very young. Did you usually go to school? I wonder if I should be doing active shooter drills.

ortega: I went to school before the first year. I went to a public school. We have always had active shooting exercises. When I was in eighth grade, we had active shooters training that was supposed to take place after lunch. As soon as lunch started, the alarm went off and the teachers let all the students into our main auditorium. And we asked ourselves, “Shouldn’t I have started later?” And we thought, oh, maybe they’re trying to make a surprise movie or something. And even when we sat in the auditorium, he seemed a bit retarded and we asked the teachers, “Is that true? It’s true? “We didn’t understand that this was really a real situation. And apparently a student brought a gun to campus and showed it to people. The police came, they took the student out and it was a big deal. It is acute when something suddenly becomes real. Nobody will understand until it happens to them. So I think I’ve already had that moment, it could happen anywhere, anytime. To my younger siblings, there have been times when they were told not to go to school on certain days because there was a bomb threat or something. ა It’s awful.

Deadline: I understand that in preparation for the role, you screened children who have been shot at at school.

ortega: Unfortunately, because it’s such a common occurrence, there are too many of them out there. I’ve seen videos, interviews. I also watched the footage and absolutely everything I could do to focus more on the real events, and all that thinking and processing has come naturally ever since.

Then, even when the March for Our Lives movement started, I tried to be as active as possible on social media or at marches, events and summits. In fact, I had the privilege of listening to Parkland [Florida] Students like X González talk and I talk to them later. It was incredibly exciting and I think it would be really helpful to listen to absolutely everyone.

Deadline: In a film, you go through a wide variety of emotions. In a scene with Maddie Ziegler playing a classmate, you are in the girls’ bathroom when filming begins, which takes place behind the camera. Was there a scene that turned out to be the hardest or most difficult to pull off?

ortega: Seems to me it was a scene in the bathroom. This is also weird because we shot the whole movie and it was actually the last scene we shot. Obviously you approach the subject with a kind of hesitation, because you never want to tell a story that is not your own, you have to fully commit to a similar situation… All the cast and crew are clearly hurt. Everyone stopped talking. Everyone bowed their heads and everyone did what we had to do. We approached as gently as possible. And we did our best not to do things that were too provocative or unnecessary for the viewer, but which then also led to the horrifying realization of nature. It was really scary. You just want to get it right. Yes. You just want to get it right. And that was stressful.

Deadline: Maddie Ziegler’s character Fall He is influential on social media. In real life, you have 7.7 million followers on Instagram. Are you influenced by social networks?

ortega: I received [my Instagram account] Because of my job, when I was little and for a while I was on a Disney channel and they would tell you: ‘Publish it every day, do it’. They give you instructions on how to set up your account so that more people can watch your show. So that’s what I did. They know what they are doing because it worked, but now I’m stuck. [it]. I’m so scared of social media and deleting my pages that I could and think someday I will. But one of the advantages is that it is available to virtually anyone around the world. So you open up for really important conversations when needed. But it is becoming an increasingly toxic environment. I feel like people no longer welcome people who ask questions without criticism or harassment, which makes it horrible. It doesn’t have to be scary. I feel like the internet has a lot of power right now.

Deadline: A recent post on his Instagram featured a book by John Updike. What’s on your shelf? Are you a reader?

ortega: I’m a great reader. I love collecting old books and I love that my work allows me to travel because now my books come from all over the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first author or transcendentalist I came into contact with and resonated with. And I found out when I was in New Zealand. I have many personal essay books of him. Self-confidence It was great for me I just hosted Virginia Woolf …Momento and other essays. I’ve never read it before so I’m really excited because I know it’s a big deal.

I read a lot of satirical material, eg. A story in a tube By Jonathan Swift and stuff like that. I try to join Charles Bukowski because I have many friends who love Bukowski. Love is a dog of hell. This is a book I’m trying to get my hands on.

Deadline: Until recently, very few people in LatinX had the opportunity to fully showcase their talents in Hollywood. How important is it for you to be Latin American in this industry and to be so successful?

ortega: For me, Latin has always been very beautiful. This is something I am very proud of. I grew up in a community [Coachella Valley, California] Surrounded by all kinds of Spaniards which was really wonderful because I never grew up with any kind of shame or fear of my culture.

I believe that regardless of whether people want to enter the creative realm through their work, representation is just as important as building self-esteem or self-esteem. Growing up, these children see themselves as a beautiful girl or boy who never looks like them. It is never the protagonist or never the protagonist or it is always a joke, especially since the Spaniards tend to show themselves in such a negative way. This is a waitress or the daughter of a drug dealer … I was always very nervous when I found jobs ethnically open or perhaps originally intended for a Caucasian actor … I want to open the door to as many Latin Americans as possible, just because we are a beautiful company , we are and we should celebrate it. Latin society concentrates only three percent of the representation that is shown in television and film media. The world of television, the world of cinema, must reflect what the real world is like. It’s not all a color. I think Latin Americans are following their own path, but we still have a long way to go.

Term: At age 19, is there anyone in the industry setting a good example for your career?

ortega: My biggest obsession lately is Riz Ahmed. Not just the power of the actor, but almost everything he represents. He is very smart in the roles he plays. She speaks extraordinarily well and is also truly extraordinary in the field of activism, which, if only she could have had a career like his, or she could just talk and get the same kind of knowledge that he seems to have about it. What she matters to him is that I want to do the same. I think he is a good role model for me.