"If it takes my whole life I won't break I won't bend. It will all be worth it, worth it in the end"

I am originally from Holt, Michigan. I was a Musical Theater major at Roosevelt University in Chicago for 1 year and then transfered and graduated with a Bachelors in Theater from Western Michigan University. I then worked at the Double JJ Ranch and Resort as an entertainer for 3 years and the entertainment supervisor for 1 year. There, we did 3 stunt shows a day, children's theater, musical reviews, caberets, improv shows, western shows where I would sing and ride a bull, and a ton of other stuff.

From there I moved to Nashville, TN for singing and songwriting. I taught line dancing and hosted concerts at the Wildhorse Saloon. I cut a demo and did some demo singing but got into acting and dancing in music videos. After I got my first agent I started working throughout the southeast in commercials, industrials, and short films. I also started my own entertainment company Monica Ortega Entertainment. I moved to LA November 2010 and joined a cover band called Rendition. We play gigs about 2-4 times a month. I still teach line dancing at different music festivals like Stagecoach and Jamboree. I have an incredible commercial agent out here and have done commercials for H & R Block, Cablevision, Gold Bond, and CA Realtors Association. I also had a small guest role on the Nickelodeon show Fred.

The biggest change in my life is that last April I found the man of my dreams and got engaged to Jan Janssen. He's a fellow midwesterner from Wisonsin and also an actor. He's made life in LA so much more exciting. We are planning our wedding for October.

In summary, life is good!