Jenna Ortega is officially the youngest host of Season 48 at age 20.
During her monologue, Ortega mentioned her age but also added she has been acting since she was nine years old, playing a throwback clip of her in a Colgate toothpaste commercial. She also joked about her horror roles in Wednesday and the Scream films.
“A lot of people assume that I am dark and twisted in real life because of these roles that I play but I am not like that at all,” she said. “I think there’s just something about my face where people see it and they’re like, ‘Hey, let’s throw blood on that.’”
Later in the monologue, she was joined by Fred Armisen, her fellow Wednesday co-star. You can watch it below.
Jenna Ortega's monologue!
While she was in NYC prepping for the live show, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “[SNL] is going really well, actually. Everyone is really cool. It’s really comfortable,” the actress said.
She went on to discuss her experience in sketch rooms so far. “I forget that they’ve been doing it for so long. Things happen so quickly. We were deciding on the sketches the other day, and I remember I was sitting in the chair across from Lorne Michaels. Everyone was getting up and leaving. I look at Lorne and say, ‘Oh, are we done?’ and he was like, ‘Yeah.’” She also says she is in awe of all the talent, savoring every moment.
Ortega admitted her awkward moment when she met Aftersun star Paul Mascal, who was seated at her table along with Zendaya at the SAG awards. “He introduced himself to me when I wasn’t expecting it. He was like, ‘Hi, nice to meet you. I am Paul.’ I was so nervous I kind of couldn’t look him in the eye,” Ortega said as she jokingly mimicked the encounter with Fallon.
Then she talks about the new installment of the Scream franchise, Scream VI, and faces off against Ghostface in NYC for the first time. “It’s a different setting. The Scream franchise never left Woodsboro. So, I think it makes for a lot more intimidating story. I would say. You know, Ghostface can come for you on the subway [or] push you off a skyscraper building.”
She adds, “Everything about this movie is bigger and scarier. Also, Ghostface is just so much more brutal.”
In talks of horror flicks, the writer’s room of Netflix’s hit show Wednesday is officially underway. Ortega gave fans a sneak peek of what to expect in Season 2. “I think we want to up the horror aspect a little bit and then get Wednesday [Addams] out of the romantic situation, let her be her own individual and fight her own crimes,” she said.
