Hollywood starlet Jenna Ortega recently revealed that she auditioned for one of the most iconic roles played by Zendaya. In a new interview with an American media outlet, Ortega, known for her role in “Wednesday,” shared that she auditioned for Zendaya’s part as Chani, a Fremen warrior and the love interest of Paul Atreides, in “Dune” when she was 15.
Reflecting on the experience, Ortega, 21, said, “I think I auditioned for ‘Dune’ when I was around 15.” She added, “I was a big fan of the film and the franchise and was really excited about the audition because Denis Villeneuve is one of my favorite filmmakers. I believe it was for Chani, Zendaya’s role, but they weren’t revealing much at the time. Everything was very secretive.” Zendaya, 27, ultimately secured the role in 2019 when she was 22, while Ortega auditioned the previous year. The sci-fi epic “Dune,” directed by Denis Villeneuve, is based on Frank Herbert’s novel and explores the conflict surrounding the desert planet Arrakis and its precious resource.
On the professional front, Ortega is looking forward to the release of Tim Burton’s horror-comedy “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which also stars Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder. The film is set to premiere in theaters on September 6.
