Jenna Ortega Reveals She Auditioned For Zendaya’s Role in ‘Dune’ at 15

In a recent interview, ‘Beetlejuice’ actress Jenna Ortega shared that she believes she may have auditioned for the role of Chani in ‘Dune’ when she was 15, a role eventually played by Zendaya. Ortega, who interacted with dachshund puppies throughout, was asked about a surprising role she had auditioned for. 

Ortega revealed, “I think I auditioned for ‘Dune’ when I was about 15,” expressing her excitement about the project, especially as she is a big fan of the franchise and Denis Villeneuve, one of her favourite filmmakers.

Image Courtesy: People

Despite the limited details at the time, Ortega believes she and Zendaya were likely up for the same role. “I think it was Chani. 

I think it was Zendaya’s — but they weren’t saying that. Everything was very secret,” she added, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the audition process. It’s not uncommon for actors to be unaware of the specific role or film they’re auditioning for, as they may be given different scenes or characters. 

Image Courtesy: New York Daily News

The original ‘Dune’ film, directed by David Lynch, was released in 1984, with actress Sean Young portraying Chani. The 2021 remake saw Zendaya take on the role of Chani alongside Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides. 

The pair reunited for ‘Dune: Part Two’, which was a major success at the box office. Elsewhere in the interview, Ortega also reminisced about her favourite behind-the-scenes moment from filming ‘Beetlejuice’, the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 classic.

-Sushmita Sarkar