Jenna Ortega says she tried auditioned at age 15 for Zendaya’s role in Dune: “It Was All Very Secret.”
Jenna Ortega believes that she may have participated in an audition for Dune.
The actress believes that she may have been nearly a Fremen before delivering frights in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
Jenna Ortega believes that she may have participated in an audition for Dune.
In a recent interview with BuzzFeed, which was published on Monday, Aug. 26, the 21-year-old actress of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice discussed her belief that she may have been a contender for the 2021 role that ultimately went to Zendaya.
The young star, who was observed playing with a group of dachshund canines for the duration of the nearly 12-minute footage, was questioned about a role that she had auditioned for.
“I think I auditioned for Dune when I was about 15,” Ortega said with a smile.
She added that she was a big fan of the franchise and was “really excited” because Denis Villeneuve “is one of my favorite filmmakers.”
The You alum acknowledged that, despite the limited information available at the time, she is confident that she and the Challengers star, 27, were both competing for the same position.
“I think it was Chani. I think it was Zendaya’s — but they weren’t saying that. Everything was very secret,” Ortega said.
It is not uncommon for an actor to be unaware of the role or film for which they are auditioning on certain projects; they may be assigned a completely different scenario or character.
Dune was initially published in December 1984. Patrick Stewart, Sting, and other celebrities comprised the ensemble of the David Lynch-directed film. Chani was initially portrayed by actress Sean Young in the science fiction drama.
Zendaya assumed the role of Chani in the 2021 remake, while Timothée Chalamet was appointed as Paul Atreides. The duo reunited for Dune: Part Two, which was published in March 2024.
The second installment grossed $711.8 million at the box office.
In another section of the BuzzFeed interview, Ortega shared her favorite behind-the-scenes memory from the filming of Beetlejuice. beetlejuice — the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 film beetlejuice.
Ortega portrays Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia, played by Winona Ryder, in the remake.
“I really like the third act climax, just because we have a big scene in a church. That was so much going on. We shot it for about three weeks, everybody’s in it,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to shoot, but also going to the underworld for the first time and understanding that we kinda had to walk on a tilt.”
Additionally, she acknowledged that she “weirdly got shy” upon meeting the film’s main actor, Michael Keaton, for the first time.
“But he’s so sweet, he’s so funny, he’s so charming, so professional — I feel like I learned so much, even by watching him,” Ortega said. “It was really strange to see him become Beetlejuice because he was unrecognizable.”
The actress continued, “It was the first time I think I had ever really seen someone completely disappear. No bit of themselves involved, so that was pretty special.”
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is scheduled for theatrical release on September 6, 2024.
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