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America began acting at the young age of eight. She was acting in school plays and at the local theater. In 2002 she was in her debut film Real Women Have Curves. She recently appeared in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She is now in ABC's new show Ugly Betty.

Trivia

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In 2008, America won the NAACP Award as the Best Actress in a Comedy for her performance in Ugly Betty. (edit)
On December 13, 2007, America Ferrera was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the "Actress in a Leading Role - Musical Or Comedy Series" category for his performance in Ugly Betty. (edit)
In the Teen Choice Awards 2007, America was voted Choice TV Actress in a Comedy for her title role in ABC's TV Series Ugly Betty. (edit)
In the The 9th Annual Family Television Awards, America won the award for the Best Actress for her performance in Ugly Betty. (edit)
America won a 2007 Best Actress in a Comedy Emmy, for her role in Ugly Betty. (edit)
America played "CB's Sister" in the Off-Broadway play, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, at the Century Center for the Performing Arts (New York, NY) in December 2005 before Ugly Betty. (edit)
America Ferrera is slated to reprise her role in the second Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. film. The sequel is reportedly going to be based on author Ann Brashares' fourth and final "Sisterhood" book, Forever in Blue. All the original main actresses are said to be returning for this movie, including Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively, and Alexis Bledel. Filming is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2007. (edit)
America was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007. (edit)
In 2006, she was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in the ALMA Awards. (edit)
In 2007, America won Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for Ugly Betty in the Golden Globes. (edit)
In 2007, America was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Ugly Betty in the Image Awards. (edit)
In 2003, America was nominated for Best Debut Performance for Real Women Have Curves in the Independent Spirit Awards. (edit)
In 2005, she was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and in 2006 nominated for Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical for Ugly Betty in the Satellite Awards. (edit)
In 2007, America was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in her role as Betty in Ugly Betty in the Screen Actors Guild Awards. (edit)
In 2005, she was nominated for both Choice Movie Hissy Fit and Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Female for her role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in the Teen Choice Awards. (edit)
In 2003, America nominated for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress for Real Women Have Curves in the Young Artist Awards. (edit)
America won a SAG Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Betty Suarez in the show Ugly Betty. (edit)
In 2006, She was nominated in the ALMA Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. (edit)
She was on the magazine cover photo PDTV (USA) on 24 September 2006. (edit)
She had an article published in TV Guide (USA) 31 July 2006, Vol. 54, Iss. 31, pg. 13, by Stephen Battaglio, "Ugly Betty's Looking Good". (edit)
In 2002, she did a TV commercial for Hispanic Scholarship Fund. (edit)
She started acting in a community theater at the age of 8. (edit)
Her nickname is Georgina. (edit)
Her parents are Honduran. (edit)
Ferrera won the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical) for her portrayal of Betty Suárez in ABC's series Ugly Betty (edit)
America stars as Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty (edit)
America just signed on to a new movie, Boy Immigrant, which should come out in 2007. (edit)
Lords of Dogtown and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants , two of her movies, both opened on the very same day.(Friday, June 3rd, 2005.) (edit)
America Ferrera played Victoria Roubideaux in the TV movie Plainsong. (edit)
America played Luiza in Darkness Minus Twelve, which was released in 2004. (edit)
She is in the University of Southern California. She is double-majoring in Theater and International Relations. (edit)
She was in the Disney movie, Gotta Kick It Up. (edit)
American was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Leading Young Actress. (edit)
America earned a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. (edit)
America won best Actress in the Sundance Jury Award for her role in Real Women Have Cruves. (edit)
She played Thunder Monkey in the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown. (edit)
America is the youngest of six siblings. (edit)
She is not ashamed of her weight. (edit)
She played Carmen in the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. This role is of a puerto rican girl who's parent are divorced and she lives with her "single" mother. (edit)
She is 5 feet 1 inches (1.55 metres) tall. (edit)

Quotes

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America: (on her feelings when her father abandoned her family while she was a child) It wasn't easy, but as a kid you find ways to make sense of it. It wasn't until I was older that I thought, 'Damn, I never really grieved over that'. And there have been male figures in my life who provided that kind of fatherhood role for longer than he was ever in my life. (edit)
America: It's so reassuring to have a woman heroine who triumphs with more than just what she has on the outside... who has more to offer the world than just a pretty picture. To me, the tragedy about this whole image-obsessed society is that young girls get so caught up in just achieving that they forget to realize that they have so much more to offer the world. (edit)
America: I think it's hilarious when people call Jessica Alba or Eva Longoria curvy. Come on. They're not curvy. They're small. I'm curvy. (edit)
America Ferrera: I read Cliffs Notes when I was in school. I recently went back and read A Farewell to Arms and Steppenwolf, just to get the education that I paid for. (edit)
America: Honestly, even if I wanted to be anorexic, I just don't have what it takes. After four hours of being anorexic, I'd be like, "It's been four whole hours! Feed me!" (edit)
America: It's always nice at the end of the day to take the wig off and take my makeup off and just be myself. But I am more comfortable being Betty than being on a red carpet all glammed up. (edit)
America: I feel extremely comfortable being dressed as Ugly Betty. (edit)
America: Most of us look nothing like models. We count on our kindness and strength to get us through life.The most important thing you wear is your personality. (edit)
America: (on becoming ugly for work every day) It’s definitely a costume. I wear a wig, I wear braces and glasses and exaggerated clothing, and I also bush up my eyebrows. But unfortunately, it only takes me an hour to get into costume, so I’m only an hour away from Ugly Betty myself! (edit)
America: (About her boyfriend) He makes me very happy. There’s nothing more valuable than having someone in your life who reminds you who you are, and he does that. I love that we don’t need to be together, but that we want to. That was a really hard lesson for me to learn in high school. Finding and having a boyfriend in high school was the thing that made a girl feel worthy. In a good relationship, you can live without them, but when they are there, it’s because you want them to be. I think that’s a great lesson for girls. You have to love yourself before anyone else can really love you. I think that’s the only real truth that I know. (edit)
America: I think it’s the work that’s paving the way. I don’t consider myself an American or Latina actress. I’m just an actress and I feel like when other people can start seeing me as just an actress, rather than a Latina actress, that would be a big step forward. It’s a fine balance. Part of it is about being proud of being Latina and claiming who you are, but at the same time, by doing that you can isolate yourself. (edit)
America: (Pressure about her weight) When I went into the business I never knew how “fat” or “ugly” I was. I never felt that there was something wrong with me. But in the world of Mode magazine, 99 percent of us are Ugly Bettys. It’s interesting that the show is called Ugly Betty, not Fat Betty- but everyone assumes that the ugliness comes from me as a person not being skinny. But a skinny actress could have taken this role and put on the braces and she’d still be Ugly Betty. (edit)
America: It’s unrealistic to say to girls, :Be happy with who you are,” when they’re in high school and feeling so much pressure. I understand the appeal of celebrities like Nicole and Paris. Their lives seem so glamorous. But I think that is girls got to spend a day in one of those people’s lives, they wouldn’t be impressed. Any girl reading this should know that anything she wants, she can have. But why not focus those dreams on things that are worth it? If they could have a perfectly tiny body and all the money, attention, and celebrity in the world, is that what they would really want to go for? I’m not judging Paris or those girls- if they’re happy, that’s great. Girls should be able to go to sleep every night and say to themselves, “I’m happy and proud if the way I’m living my life.” (edit)
America: (Ugly Betty moments in high school) My high school days were definitely not the best days of my life. I think everything you learn in high school, you have to spend the rest of your life unlearning. A lot of what high school was about for me was not being myself. It was about hiding all the things that made me different and trying to fit in somewhere. I didn’t know who I was. The pretty and popular girls just reminded me that I wasn’t pretty enough, and the nerdy and studious ones reminded me that I wasn’t smart enough.. I didn’t conform in high school, wear all the right clothes, or fit in. but I think the truth is that whatever you’re wearing on the outside doesn’t change the fact that most people- even beautiful girls- feel the same doubts, fears, and insecurities on the inside. (edit)
America: I think she understands she’s different. But what makes her strong is that she’s not stupid. People tend to equate kindness with naiveté and cynicism with experience and age. But the stronger person is the one who knows better and chooses not to stoop to certain levels- that’s Betty. (edit)
America: (The Part of Betty she relates to most) Her wanting to succeed in a business that she’s not necessarily tailored for. Her dream is to write for magazines- not necessarily a fashion magazine, but that’s where she gets a job. She has to strive even harder to show her talents because she works in a place where everybody is overly concerned with what people look like. The entertainment industry is very similar. Because I don’t look like a typical glamorous Hollywood star, it was hard for me to get in the right doors. People here think they can look at you and judge what you are capable of doing. Betty and I are similar in that respect. (edit)
America: (Goals for 2007) I want to travel. But it’s hard because I get such a short amount of time off, and I feel like I should do a movie. I wish I could go sit in the sun, but it’s not my nature. At some point, when I collapse, I’ll have to calm down. (edit)
America: (Favorite hero from Heroes) I love Masi [Oka, who plays Hiro]. I met him before our shows came out, but now I just want to say hi and like, hug him and tell him that I love his show. And then I’m like, “Wait, he’s just a normal person, who doesn’t have superpowers!” (edit)
America: (Anyone who still makes her starstruck) If I saw someone from Heroes, I would freak out. I’d be like, “Oh, my God, you’re a superhero. You’re not supposed to be here!” I’m the biggest dork when it comes to that. (edit)
America: (The moment when she knew she was a success) I was in Texas at a movie theater and on the elevator, these people were like, “You look so much like that girl who plays Ugly Betty.” So they started talking about how much they loved the show. And I thought, “I’m in Texas in an elevator and these people know about my show.” That’s when it hit: the whole country is watching. (edit)
America: (The biggest perk of fame) You know what was really cool? We got to travel on ABC’s private jet to Chicago when we did Oprah. You have your own stewardess to get your stuff! They had a whole basket of candy- Snickers and Starbursts. I was high on sugar by the time I was on Oprah. (edit)
America: (Advice from Rosie O’Donnell) As I was leaving, she told me “Don’t ever date anyone who’s been in People magazine. Find a normal, sweet guy from home.” I was like, "OK!" (edit)
America: I did The View and met Rosie O’Donnell. I grew obsessed with her talk show and thought she was so wonderful, and in person, she was just so sweet. She’s such a big fan of the show. (edit)
America: (Strange fan encounters) Sometimes letters come addressed to Betty. They’re like, “Dear Betty, I hope things at Mode are OK.” It’s a little creepy. These are from people who are like, 32! I’m serious. (edit)
America: (Favorite Betty moment to date) The Christmas episode when we brought back Henry [Christopher Gorham]. I’m the girliest of all girls. I squeal in romantic comedies. I cry at the drop of a hat. So I get excited for Betty when she gets to do romantic things. It’s so wonderful to have a normal person be a romantic heroine. The truth is, we are not all people who look like we belong on television. But every single person you look at, they are the heroine of their own lives. There are people who love them and desire them and need them. (edit)
America: (The most difficult part of the Betty transformation) Betty wears a lot of clothes-tights, parkas, all these shirts buttoned up to her neck. That drives me insane. I don’t like to feel restricted. (edit)
America: It takes me an hour to become Betty. But I love that she's so different from me. I can [keep] a bit of myself private. (edit)
America: Breasts can be a burden or a blessing. I can't wear a tank without a bra, but I look voluptuous in any kind of dress. (edit)
America: I think Hispanic women are beautiful with their curves. I'm not sure who feels that way in Hollywood. I was never told to lose 50 pounds. If they think that they just don't bother with you,you just don't get the role and you never know why. That's still better than physically harming yourself and becoming unhealthy just to star in a movie. (edit)
America: Weight. It's a very emotional issue. (edit)
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