America Ferrera: Life in pictures
BB: Before Betty
Sure, we know her as an Emmy Award-winning actress, but before Ugly Betty, America Ferrera was just a regular high school student, acting in school plays and community theater. (Matt Sayles / AP)
Americas awkward moment
Viewers fell in love with the bushy-browed assistant, and Ferrera was showered with awards: a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
After Ferrera won her Golden Globe in 2007, reporter Maria Menounos approached her and asked, “What do you say to all those people out there who did not want you to play Ugly Betty?” A visibly flustered Ferrera answered, Um
I dont know. I dont know who they are. Awkward! (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Low-pro romance
Even though her character on Ugly Betty struggles with men, Ferrera is doing just fine in the romance department. She is still dating longtime beau, Ryan Piers Williams, who she met at USC. The pair keeps a pretty low-profile, but that hasnt stopped engagement rumors from swirling. (Matt Sayles / AP)
Less than perfect
Like her character on Ugly Betty, Ferrera has dealt with the discomfort of being a voluptuous woman in a room full of twigs. I was having a wardrobe fitting and I can never find things to wear and the person who selects the clothes picked out size 0 and 2s, Ferrera told Kuwait Times in 2007. There I was, mortified, as nothing would fit, and I had to go to the bathroom to cry.
Ferreras openness about such experiences makes her relatable, despite her celebrity. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Ferreras surprise role model
Plenty of girls see Ferrera as a role model, but Ferrera has her own role model: her character on Ugly Betty!
I think girls, as well as myself, have a lot to learn from her, Ferrera told Cosmo Girl in 2007. How can you not look up to a character who challenges herself to do the right thing? (Chris Pizzello / AP)
Spoken like a true Betty
So, has Ferreras fame lured her into a life of club-hopping and debauchery? Nope, sorry. You’ll never see me at the launch of the new PlayStation or some club, Ferrera told Cosmo Girl in 2007. For me the fun stuff is being able to get my mom tickets to Dancing With the Stars -- she loves Mario Lopez. Spoken like a true Betty. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
