Scream 6's Jenna Ortega Would Climb Into A Fridge To Get Into Character
There's really no limit to what Method actors will do in order to fully inhabit their characters on screen. Jenna Ortega, most lately of "Scream 6," might not have the reputation for Method acting that Robert De Niro or Christian Bale have, but in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight she revealed that she can take an intense step or two of her own to help her get into the mindset necessary to portray a character being menaced by Ghostface.
When asked about her penchant for goofy antics in between takes on "Scream 6" that sometimes make it into videos posted online, Ortega and co-star Melissa Barrera revealed that when Ortega was seen emerging from a refrigerator for one such video, there was a greater method behind the madness than the interviewer seemed to assume at first.
As it turns out, Ortega's time in the fridge (and also doing other things like balancing tortillas on her head) weren't just fun and games, but a kind of psychological exercise allowing her to get into character.
Ortega says fridge time allows her to amp herself up for a scene
Jenna Ortega was asked in the interview with ET about "keeping it light and fun in between takes" with stunts like climbing into a refrigerator or balancing tortillas on her head, but her answer shows the actions are deeper than simple tension relief.
"I actually do stuff like that to scare myself," Ortega said. "In the fridge, it's really isolating as soon as the door's closed and it's dark in there," she went on. "She uses it to get into character," added co-star Melissa Barrera.
In conducting the interview, Rachel Smith seemed surprised by the revelation and might have even believed that the two "Scream 6" stars were pulling her leg. But Ortega continued in apparent seriousness: "It's a moment of resetting right before a take so there's no distractions ... it's just you with your thoughts and you get the time to really amp yourself up." "Leave it in the fridge," she concluded.
Method acting might be falling out of favor these days, but Ortega could be its new standard bearer, and it could transpire that roomy refrigerators become a staple of film sets from now on. If you want to see the results of practicing the Frigidaire Method for yourself, "Scream 6" is in theaters now.