I Worked With Jenna Ortega — Before the Rest of the World Knew Her Name

Long before she was gracing magazine covers, topping Netflix charts as Wednesday Addams, and becoming one of the most talked-about young actresses on the planet — Jenna Ortega was a kid on a Netflix sitcom, and I got to be there for it. I served as dialogue coach on Richie Rich, and watching Jenna work, even then, you just knew.

The show was produced by AwesomenessTV (a DreamWorks Animation company) for Netflix, created and executive produced by Tim Pollock and Jeff Hodsden (of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody fame), with Brian Robbins, co-founder and CEO of AwesomenessTV, also serving as executive producer. It was a fun, fast-paced, high-energy set, and the team brought genuine creativity to every episode.

Jake Brennan led the series as a very likable Richie, with Joshua Carlon as his best friend Murray, Lauren Taylor as sister Harper, Kiff VandenHeuvel as dad Cliff, and Brooke Wexler as the beloved robot Irona rounding out the family. And right there alongside them was a young Jenna Ortega as Darcy — sharp, funny, and completely in command of every scene she was in. A privilege and a joy to be on that set, and one of those career moments I'll always smile about.