America Ferrera

Passport

Name: America Georgina Ferrera

Place and Date of Birth: Los Angeles, 18 April 1984

Profession: actress and film producer

Distinguishing Features: campaigns for the rights of women of South American descent in the United States

America, you’ve had a brilliant career, and still have plenty of new projects to look forward to – from the outside, your life looks incredibly glamorous and exciting, but has it always been like that? No, it absolutely has not! My family immigrated* to the US in the 1970s, and although I was born in Los Angeles, I’ve always been “different”. I grew up with my single mother and five siblings*, and no one ever believed I’d be this successful. No one would ever have bet* on me turning my dreams into reality. As a kid, I wanted to be an actress more traffic, hoping my brother’s car had enough gas to last the entire trip. I started auditioning* when I was still in high school, but after a year of failed auditions, I began to question whether I’d ever make it. But, I stuck to my guns* and not long after that I got picked for the Disney original Gotta Kick it Up! From then on, my career took off.

Your first big hit was with the TV series Ugly Betty, in 2007. How did you feel about playing this quirky, awkward girl? I loved it. She was exactly the kind of character I wanted to play. Betty is a very average girl: she’s not beautiful, she’s not thin, she’s not successful. She’s just like the rest of us. This is the reality for most of us, but Hollywood wants us to believe it isn’t. Through Betty, I was able to show the world how a brave, good, and intelligent young woman can make her way in the world using her own talents. These are the kind of characters I’m interested in playing – real people who embody* positive values. Hollywood has enough beautiful and successful women, and the problem is that these divas can make us feel bad about ourselves because we’re not what we see represented on the big screen.

You’re in the new Barbie movie, which was released in cinemas to great excitement this July. With the plot kept a close secret and fans waiting more than four years to see it, we’d love to hear about your experiences of being in it. Barbie is not the movie that most people were expecting, but if you know anything about the director, Greta Gerwig, then you will know she loves to surprise her audiences. Barbie is a live-action reimagining of the Mattel Barbie toy. All the previous Barbie movies were animations, but in this one we’re all real actors. Barbie is played by Margot Robbie, and Ken by Ryan Gosling, but, hang on*, have you seen the movie yet? No?! Oh, then I mustn’t spoil it for you! Don’t forget, my part, and that of other actors, was kept a secret right up to release* – the director didn’t want us telling anyone! So, I’ll leave the surprises for you to find out for yourselves. What I can tell you is that the movie challenges a few stereotypes, though not colour. What colour does everyone expect to see in a Barbie movie? Hot pink, right?

America, what can you tell us about women of Latin American descent in Hollywood?

There are too few of us and we have to work harder to get anywhere. Even when I had become an established actress, I still had to push to bring more diversity to the screen, and for movies to be more inclusive of the Latino* community. I’ve been hugely inspired in my work by Eva Longoria and other Latina actresses, who’ve become successful in this very non-diverse* industry. I’m pleased to say that now I work on films and TV series where the Latino community is not just seen as poor and isolated, their lives ruined by problems, but full of joy, with strong family ties, a great sense of humour and a vibrant culture. Without a more realistic representation of who we are, we will never improve our position in society. Of course, the struggle also takes place away from the screen. Many Latina women still have to fight to make their voices heard and earn more freedom for themselves. This is why Eva Longoria and I, with other Latina leaders, actresses and activists, launched the She Se Puede initiative – a support network which, among other things, encourages Latina women to vote.

Let’s turn now to your private life. You’re happily married to the actor, director and writer, Ryan Piers Williams. What do you love most about your family?

I’ve been married to Ryan since 2011 and we have two wonderful children – Sebastian, 5, and Lucia, 3. We’re very happy but very protective of our privacy. Both Ryan and I work a lot, but we always make sure we take a vacation and spend quality time with our family. Even though the rest of society never seems to stop, we know that to keep our creativity flowing we need to rest and recharge our batteries. In fact, we owe our success to our happiness, and the time we spend with our family and all the love they give us.

Thank you America!

Glossary

immigrated: come to live permanently in a different country siblings: brothers and sisters bet: (here) be sure, predict naïve: inexperienced, showing a lack of knowledge auditioning: giving a short performance to be chosen for a role in a play/film etc. stuck to my guns: (idiom) refused to stop/give up embody: represent, show particular qualities hang on: (informal) wait a moment release: (here) make available to the public Latino/a: (US especially) person of Latin American origin/descent non diverse: lack of variety (here, non-diverse = mostly/ all Caucasian/white people from similar, usually wealthy, background)