Hollywood actress of Latin origin America Ferrera became a household name when she starred in the famous TV series “Ugly Betty” in the titular role. Back in 2006, she was typecast as curvy and imperfect, but she stood her ground that she is average-sized. In those days, people thought her role and the story were groundbreaking because leading ladies in television were slimmer.

America Ferrera Was Hollywood’s Definition of Imperfect

Around the same time as Ugly Betty, she also featured in “The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants” and its sequel, where she portrayed a curvy lass once more. In 2002, she acted in an independent film “Real Women Have Curves” that deals with the same subject. It broke many conventions of filmmaking in Hollywood. 

Ferrera graces Elle magazine’s Women in Hollywood 2023 edition, alongside 8 other powerful women like Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria, Lily Gladstone, and Jodie Foster. For an interview with Elle, she bared her truth. 

Just because Hollywood tells stories of people in all sorts of bodies, calling them brave is ridiculous. She revealed that she hated the notion that somehow curvy people are considered brave in show business. “It is insane,” she says, for being stereotyped about certain looks and body types. 

She Unapologetically Loves Her Body

Recently seen in “Barbie” as the human Gloria, America Ferrera says that over the years, she punished herself for not looking a certain way. Always being in the public eye will put a strain on your mental health, she opines, but now she is learning to love her body unapologetically. She succeeded in losing around 30 pounds for her role in the movie, with a healthy diet and exercise alone. 

For now, she hopes that no talented actor will be relegated to specific roles based on their appearance or culture. “For my career, the future of other women, and people of color, I wish we don’t have to exist inside of boxes,” several reports quoted her. This is not only about creating a dominant conversation but as an actor, she wishes to excel in versatile roles and make fantastic art.

Barbie and Beyond

America Ferrera’s show-stealing monologue in the film Barbie was loved by the masses and critics. Before that, she appeared in the NBC hit sitcom Superstore. Ferrera produced the now-cancelled bilingual digital series “Gente-fied” for Netflix. She is all set to make her directorial debut for a feature film “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.”