Jenna Ortega Reveals How ‘Beetlejuice’ Co-Star Michael Keaton Gave Her a ‘Jump Scare’

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! That’s likely what Jenna Ortega summoned when her co-star and the film’s protagonist, Michael Keaton, scared her on set.

The 21-year-old actress is set to star in the upcoming horror movie alongside Willem Dafoe and returning cast members Winona Ryder, Monica Bellucci, and more. While on set for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the horror star was jump-scared by the 72-year-old actor, as she revealed during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

On Wednesday, August 21, Jenna shared, “He came up behind me… I was getting a hair and makeup test when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and it was a definite jump scare. He was like, ‘Oh hey, I’m Michael,’ and he had molds peeling off his face.”

Despite the fright, the Wednesday star managed to stay “cool until I met him a second time out of hair and makeup. I even reintroduced myself because I forgot that we had already met.”

Jenna transitioned into the horror genre after her days on the Disney Channel, taking on roles in films like Scream, X, Insidious, and more. From the family-friendly channel to thrillers, Jenna has always felt that the horror genre is “home.” She told People back in February, “I love horror [movies] because they encapsulate everything. They can be romantic, funny, dramatic, and scary. They’re adrenaline-inducing and ignite passion in people, even scaredy-cats.”

The Fallout star added, “I try to watch as much as I can just for my job, which is wonderful because movies are my favorite thing in the world, and I get to call that homework…There’s just something really, really beautiful and profound about horror.”

From being a little girl scared of Child’s Play to starring in the sequel to a 1988 film and working alongside the original actors, Jenna admitted that this is something she “never could have anticipated.” Jenna will be playing the daughter of the 52-year-old Stranger Things actress, Winona Ryder, who portrayed Lydia, a character Jenna described as “the coolest character on the planet.”

Prepared to get spooked with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as it is set to release in cinemas on September 6.