Jenna Ortega Shares Mom’s Facebook Video That Started Her Career (Exclusive)

Jenna Ortega‘s story as a child actress is a special one.

In the NBC News Studios documentary series My Generation, Ortega — who serves as the narrator for the final episode, exploring all things Generation Z — shares how she got her start.

A 7-year-old Jenna can be seen introducing herself at the beginning of the clip, then going into performing a dramatic monologue.

“My mom shot this video and put it on Facebook for her friends, and they loved it. Somehow, it eventually made its way to a casting agent, and the rest is history,” she says. “Like many Gen Zers, you can say my career was also launched online.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.