Jenna Ortega Admits to Feeling ‘Very Lost’ When She Began Movie with The Weeknd: ‘Strange Time in My Life’

She added that working with Abel Tesfaye on ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ helped ground her.

Jenna Ortega (left) and Abel Tesfaye at the New York premiere of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ on May 13, 2025.

Jenna Ortega’s latest movie helped her through a difficult time.

At the premiere of Hurry Up Tomorrow on Tuesday, May 13, in New York City, the actress, 22, tells PEOPLE that she felt “lost” when she began shooting the film, which also stars Abel Tesfaye – better known as The Weeknd – and Barry Keoghan.

“Honestly, it was quite a strange time in my life,” she says.

“I felt very lost, so it felt very in tune with the production that we were having.”.

Jenna Ortega at the New York premiere of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ on May 13, 2025.

Hurry Up Tomorrow features Tesfaye, 35, in his first leading film role and serves as a feature-length companion to his sixth album of the same name.

In the psychological thriller, he plays a musician with insomnia as he is “pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence,” per the synopsis.

Ortega, who also executive produced the movie, says that working with Tesfaye on the semi-autobiographic piece helped ground her.

“To be able to collaborate on a story that is so meaningful and personal to such an inspiring artist was comforting and reassuring,” she explains.

“I felt seen, which was incredible and very beneficial.”.

(L-R) Austin Kane Anderson, Harrison Kreiss, Reza Fahim, Jenna Ortega, Abel Tesfaye, Barry Keoghan and Trey Edward Shults at the New York premiere of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ on May 13, 2025.

Giving insight into the starry cast’s dynamic on set, director Trey Edward Shults tells PEOPLE on the red carpet that it came naturally.

“We’re all real people that don’t come from this world and come from different backgrounds, and we just connected,” he says.

Adding of Ortega specifically, Shults shares, “Her talent and everything literally blew me away, man.

I personally don’t feel she’s done a movie or given a performance like this yet, and I’m so, so, so proud of her in it.” .

In April, Ortega opened up about struggling with her instant fame following the release of Netflix’s Wednesday while chatting with Tesfaye for a piece published by V Magazine.

When asked if she ever misses the “anonymity” she had in the early days of her career, she said, “Oh, most definitely,” before explaining that starring as the titular character in the hit streaming series was the changing factor.

“I mean, that was just a few years ago,” Ortega continued.

“I’d done some shows and was working in film, but it wasn’t until that show, the day of the week [Wednesday], that just catapulted everything.”.

The X star shared that she missed the scrappiness she experienced at the start of her career.

“As grateful as I am, and it was a dream role, it was so nice to have had way less pressure.

I love the hustle. There’s something about the actor’s come-up and struggle that I really enjoyed,” she said.

Hurry Up Tomorrow hits theaters Friday, May 16.