America Ferrera

Who Is America Ferrera?

America Ferrera is the youngest of six siblings. She was born on April 18, 1984 in Los Angeles, California, where she also grew up. Her parents are from Honduras. She debuted on the stage in school plays and in community theater productions, and she hasn’t stopped since.

While studying film at the University of Southern California, Ferrera met her boyfriend, Ryan Piers Williams, an aspiring director who currently works for Steven Soderbergh. The couple met when Williams cast Ferrera in his student film, and have been together ever since. They are currently living together with their baby, a Golden Retriever named Buddy.

Ugly Betty

The second season of Ugly Betty is underway, and hopefully will be on the air for many seasons to come. If you’ve seen photos of America Ferrera on the red carpet, you know that she is anything but “ugly.” The dark-haired beauty gets “Bettyfied” for her on-screen persona, but the real Ferrera is a glamorous and naturally beautiful woman who is viewed by many as a positive role model for young Latinas and other young women around the world.

America Ferrera Before Betty

Ferrera at Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" gala.

Even before Ferrera became widely known and wildly popular as the title character of Ugly Betty in 2006, she amassed quite an impressive list of movie credentials. Ferrera’s first movie was Gotta Kick It Up, a Disney Channel original movie produced in 2002. She debuted on the big screen the same year in the critically acclaimed independent film, Real Women Have Curves.

Additional On-Screen Credits

America Ferrera’s impressive resume includes roles in a number of English and Spanish-language films and made-for-television productions, including:

• Boy, Immigrant (2007)
• La Misma luna (2007)
• Hacia la Oscuridad (2007)
• Muertas (2007)
• Steel City (2006)
• 3:52 (2005)
• Lords of Dogtown (2005)
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
• How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer (2005)
• Plainsong (2004)
• Darkness Minus Twelve (2004)
• $5.15/Hr. (2004)

Additional Experience

In addition to acting in Hacia la Oscuridad and Muertas in 2007, Ferrera also served as executive producer for both films. Ferrera has also appeared in episodes of the popular television dramas CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Touched by an Angel. Additionally, she has been a guest on numerous television talk shows, including Entertainment Tonight, The Late Show with David Letterman, Live with Regis and Kelly and several others.

What’s Next on the Big Screen?

Ferrera is currently working on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, slated for release in August of 2008.

Awards and Nominations

Ferrera will reunite with cast mates in 2008's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

In addition to building an impressive vita filled with on-screen and production credits, Ferrera is quickly amassing an amazing collection of awards, including:

• Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy (2007)
• Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical (2007)
• Imagen Foundation's Creative Achievement Award (2007)
• Named a Top Artist and Entertainer in Time magazine’s 100: The Most Influential People In The World list (2007)
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series (2007)
• Sundance Film Festival Jury Award for Best Actress (2002)

She has also been nominated for the following prestigious awards:

• NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
• Satellite Awards Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
• Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance
• Young Artist Award nomination for Best Performance for a Leading Young Actress

Magazine Covers

Ferrera has also graced the covers of many national magazines, including:

• Cosmo Girl (2007)
• Glamour (2007)
• Disney Newsreel (2006)
• Entertainment Weekly (2007)
• Latina (200 6 & 2007)
• Out (2007)
• PDTV (2006 & 2007)
• TV Guide (2006)
• TV Week (2006)
• W (2007)

A Special Talent

Ferrera really seems to be something special in today’s Hollywood. Her superb acting talent is well-utilized in “Ugly Betty,” and her versatility is obvious through the diversity of unique and challenging roles she takes. However, her special talents go much further than what she accomplishes on the screen.

She seems to recognize the responsibility of being in the position she is in, as evidenced by her words when she accepted her Golden Globe award. In a world with too few positive role models, this young actress talked about the experience of having little girls tell her that Betty’s character lets them know that they have value and worth even if they are not pretty. America Ferrera seems to be that rare combination of talent and sheer “realness” that is destined to leave an indelible mark on the world of television and film for many years to come.