By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Jenna Ortega reveals the incredible drag name her late grandfather performed under
Jenna Ortega attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" on May 01, 2023 in New York City.
Clearly talent runs in the family.
As if we didn’t already love Jenna Ortega enough, the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star is opening up about her late grandfather’s fabulous past as a drag queen.
In a recent interview with The Cut, Ortega spoke candidly about her career and the things in life that have inspired her and led her down the path to Hollywood. One of those influences, she believes, may have been a grandfather she never had the opportunity to meet.
"I kind of have the same instincts that he does," she said, referencing his love for performing.
Her grandfather — her mother’s father — was a drag performer who used the stage name "Daddy Warbucks." According to The Cut, he didn’t come out until later in life, and used drag as a way to help support his family financially.
This isn’t the first time Ortega has spoken about him, although there’s often more of a somber tone to the stories. After all, her grandfather died of complications from AIDS before she was even born.
"I never got the opportunity to meet him. And I don’t want anybody else to have to go through that," she told Grumpy Magazinein 2018, per FandomWire.
His legacy inspired the Wednesday star to become an ambassador for UNAIDS, a United Nations effort to fight against the AIDS epidemic through advocacy, prevention, and providing access to treatment.
"My mom has always told us how amazing you were," Ortega wrote on social media in 2017, addressing her grandfather. "I’m sad we never got to you. You were very expressive, and loved to entertain, so I feel like I have a bit of you in me."
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
