America Ferrera biography
America Georgine Ferrera (born April 18, 1984) is an United States actress.
Biography
Ferrera, the youngest of six siblings, was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents who emigrated to the United States from Honduras in the mid-1970s. Her mother is a hotel executive in charge of housecleaning staff. Later, her mother divorced her father and raised six children – five girls, one boy – while stressing the importance of higher education. Five have graduated from college and America is working on earning her degree.
She was raised by her mother in the Woodland Hills, California section of Los Angeles. She started acting at age eight in school plays and community theater. She attended George Ellery Hale Middle School and El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills. From the time she was seven years old, when she landed a small role in a school production of
Hamlet, Ferrera knew that she wanted to be a performer. She acted in school plays and community theater in Los Angeles throughout her youth, but with little help from her mother, who insisted that she pursue other interests because she was concerned whether or not her daughter would get a fair shake. Ferrera was forced to take the bus to auditions, though eventually her mother saw her daughter’s dedication and began to drive her. She was raised speaking English and is now learning to speak Spanish.
Ferrera’s famous smile is insured by Aquafresh through Lloyd's of London for US$10 million/GB£5million to generate sales/donations for their
Smile For Success campaign. The campaign is a program plans to cover part of the cost for dental care for women trying to get off welfare. Aquafresh claims they will donate $1 to Smiles for Success for each box of Aquafresh White Trays that was purchased through August 31, 2007.
Personal
Ferrera is the youngest of six siblings which include one brother and four sisters. Her long-term boyfriend since college is Ryan Piers Williams. Williams is from Texas and is an aspiring film director. In 2007 he was an assistant to director Steven Soderbergh. They first met while working on his student film at University of Southern California. Ferrera has repeatedly denied rumors that they are engaged. Rumors that they had split up in January 2008 were not denied but Ferrera and Williams attended the NAACP Awards together in February 2008. The two have been seen together throughout Spring 2008 in California. In April 2008 they purchased a home together. They have two dogs — Buddy the Golden Retriever and a lady Great Dane.
Ferrera attends the University of Southern California, where she is majoring in International Relations; as of January 2007, she lacked only one semester’s coursework to earn her degree. and also attended New York University as a part of their Spring in New York program in the spring of 2006 while she was performing in
Dog Sees God.
In January 2008, Ferrera announced her endorsement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's run for president and joined the senator and her daughter Chelsea Clinton during several campaign events in Nevada and Pennsylvania. She has been quoted as saying that the United States should take responsibility for illegal immigration and provide more help to immigrants.
At the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards, Ferrera said that America won't be free until 2009 when George W. Bush leaves office.
Career
In July 2002, she made her first TV movie,
Gotta Kick It Up! for The Disney Channel. That same year, she made her feature film debut in the indie sleeper hit
Real Women Have Curves. Ferrera followed this with roles in both television (Touched by an Angel) and film (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film) and
Lords of Dogtown). Ferrera received a 2005 Movieline Breakthrough Award. In December 2005, she appeared in the off-Broadway play
Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, directed by Trip Cullman.
She landed the lead role in
Ugly Betty in 2006. Ugly Betty is an adaptation of the Colombian hit telenovela
Betty La Fea, in which she portrays a girl whom her peers find extremely unattractive, thus the series title. As Betty Suarez, Ferrera wears braces, has bushy eyebrows and a disheveled wig, and make-up and clothing intended to downplay her own looks. It’s in contrast to the rest of the show, where everybody else is "glammed up"; Ferrera herself coined the term “Bettification” to describe the process of creating her onscreen persona.
For her role in
Ugly Betty, Ferrera won the 2007 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical, beating out fellow nominees Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Mary-Louise Parker. As a result of the award, she was congratulated by the U.S. House of Representatives as being a role model for young Hispanics. On 28 January 2007 Ferrera won the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series. She also starred in and executive produced the poignant short film
Muertas.
In 2007,
Time Magazine chose Ferrera as one of the top artists and entertainers in their “Time 100: The Most Influential People In The World” issue. In July 2007, America Ferrera also won Imagen Foundation’s Creative Achievement Award.
On September 16, 2007, Ferrera won a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series for her role of Betty Suarez on ABC’s Ugly Betty. In the summer of 2007, she wrapped filming on
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, the sequel to the 2005 in film
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film).
America Ferrera in the news
America Ferrera set to act in Iraq war film - Entertainment and Sho...
America Ferrera set to act in Iraq war filmEntertainment and Showbiz!, India - 5 hours agoFerrera has joined the cast of the independent flick, which has been titled ‘American Tragic’ for the time being, reports Contactmusic. ...
read moreSoldier's story: Hanks grad may bring film, famous girlfrie...
Soldier's story: Hanks grad may bring film, famous girlfriend to ...El Paso Times, TX - 18 hours ago... Ryan Piers Williams might shoot some of his first major feature film next year in El Paso, and he could bring girlfriend America Ferrera with him. ...
read moreAmerica Ferrera film to shoot in NM - Bizjournals.com
Javno.hrAmerica Ferrera film to shoot in NMBizjournals.com, NC - Nov 11, 2008An article in the Hollywood Reporter indicates a new film starring America Ferrera and Melissa Leo will shoot in New Mexico starting in February. ...America Ferrera to star in 'Tragic' film United Press International‘Ugly Betty’ Star America Ferrera Is An ‘American Tragic’ MTV.comAmerica Ferrera's 'Tragic' Future Entertainment Tonight NewsReuters UK - Just Jaredall 36 news articles
read moreAlbuquerque Journal, NM, Dan Mayfield column: Ferrera To Get ... - ...
Albuquerque Journal, NM, Dan Mayfield column: Ferrera To Get ...Trading Markets (press release), CA - Nov 16, 2008Nov 16, 2008 (Albuquerque Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- DIS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- America Ferrera, ...
read moreLindsay Lohan's 'Ugly Betty' Stint Cut Afte...
WELT ONLINELindsay Lohan's 'Ugly Betty' Stint Cut After Feud With Star ...FOXNews - Oct 23, 2008AP It got so ugly on the set of "Ugly Betty" between Lindsay Lohan and the popular ABC show's star, America Ferrera, that Lohan was cut from an agreed-upon ...Lindsay Lohan and America Ferrera TV GuideLohan on losing end of 'Ugly' rumors Arizona RepublicLohan's mom says 'Ugly' reports are 'just silly' NewsdayBaltimore Sun - MTV.comall 417 news articles
read moreAmerica Ferrera to make 'Tragic' film - Variety
VarietyAmerica Ferrera to make 'Tragic' filmVariety, CA - Nov 10, 2008By ANNA MARIE DE LA FUENTE "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrera will topline and exec produce the drama "American Tragic," with Ryan Piers Williams helming ...
read moreThe Cast from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 - ACED Magazine
The Cast from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2ACED Magazine, FL - Nov 17, 2008Her co-star America Ferrera, who is playing her role Carmen for the second time, agrees. “It’s wonderful,” she says. “The four of us really hit it off the ...
read moreAmerica Ferrera's American film - MyParkMag
stv.tvAmerica Ferrera's American filmMyParkMag, UK - Nov 12, 2008The 'Ugly Betty' actress will feature in the film opposite newcomer Ryan O'Nan, who plays a young war veteran who goes on a cross-country trip as he ...America Ferrera set for Tragic role Lincolnshire EchoBetty star defends Li-Lo 'feud' www.thisissurreytoday.co.ukall 18 news articles
read moreWill Smith's Karate Kid Ready for Remake - E! Online
E! OnlineWill Smith's Karate Kid Ready for RemakeE! Online - Nov 11, 2008America Ferrera knows what's in a name. The Ugly Betty thesp is set to star in and executive produce the big screen drama American Tragic. ...
read moreAfter "Twilight," what other movies are there for...
After "Twilight," what other movies are there for girls?Seattle Times, United States - Nov 15, 2008By Moira Macdonald America Ferrera, left, and Ingrid Oliu in "Real Women Have Curves." It's not all vampires out there in teen-girl movieland. ...
read more