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America Ferrera          

Award-Winning Actress, Producer & Humanitarian

America Ferrera is an award-winning actress and producer best recognized for her breakthrough role as 'Betty Suarez' on ABC’s hit comedy, "Ugly Betty," which earned her a Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to ALMA and Imagen Awards. Ferrera gained further acclaim for her starring role in the NBC workplace comedy, "Superstore," in which she also served as a producer and director for several episodes.

In 2023, Ferrera was featured in the TV Mini-Series "WeCrashed," detailing the rise and fall of WeWork, and joined the star-studded cast for the Barbie movie. Ferrera received her first Oscar nomination for her supporting role in the film. Around the same year, she was recognized by BBC, being named as one of the 100 Women, strengthening her influence in the entertainment industry.

As an executive producer, Ferrera contributed to the series "Gentefied," a Spanglish series about family, community, brown love, and the displacement that disrupts it all. This series followed three Mexican-American cousins and their struggle to chase the American Dream.

Apart from acting and producing, Ferrera has shown a commitment to literature and culture. In 2018, Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, published "American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures," edited by Ferrera. This New York Times Bestseller is a compilation of first-person accounts from noteworthy figures about their experiences of growing up between cultures in America. Ferrera also contributed essays to this collection, sharing her perspective of growing up as the daughter of Honduran immigrants in Los Angeles.

In the realm of voice acting, Ferrera has been a part of the How To Train Your Dragon franchise since 2010 and lent her voice in the third installment, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, in 2019. She also holds a feature film directorial credit for the film I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

Ferrera's activism is as memorable as her work in film and television. In 2017, she was instrumental in establishing the TIME’S UP movement, which focuses on systemic inequality and injustice in the workplace that inhibits underrepresented groups from reaching their full potential. She co-founded HARNESS in 2016 with her husband, Ryan Piers Williams, and Wilmer Valderrama, an organization that connects communities through conversation to inspire action and power change. Ferrera has utilized her platform to advocate for women’s rights and immigration and was a chair of the Artists’ Committee for the Women’s March on Washington in 2017.

An extension of her activism, Ferrera has participated in several television documentaries, including "America Divided," "The Years of Living Dangerously," and Nicholas Kristof’s series for PBS "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide." She has also shared her views and experiences in a TED Talk titled "My Identity is a Superpower" in 2019.

Throughout her career, Ferrera has showcased her talents in a variety of television shows and films, including "The Good Wife," Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Special Correspondents, X/Y, Cesar Chavez, End of Watch, Real Women Have Curves, among many others. She has also appeared on stage in productions like Terrence McNally’s "Lips Together, Teeth Apart," Laura Marks’ "Bethany," and "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead," as well as in the West End production of the hit musical, "Chicago."

In 2006, Ferrera launched her own television and film production company, Take Fountain. Her achievements in the industry continue to accumulate, making her an influential figure in both entertainment and activism.

Speech Topics


Women's Leadership

Lunch with America Ferrera

An Evening with America Ferrera

News


America Ferrera, Pitbull bring Latinx representation to B.PHL Fest
Only in its second year, the 2020 B.PHL Fest is tackling the most important issues of today with a star-studded lineup.
How a Triathlon Helped America Ferrera Defy Her Inner Critic
It wasn’t a dream. I was standing onstage holding an Emmy. I’d imagined being in this room, clutching this statue ever since watching my first Emmy broadcast at 7 years old. Now, I was actually at the podium and accepting the award on national television. It was 2007, and I was 23. I had worked very hard to get this far, I was shooting 16-hour days to make “Ugly Betty,” and I was loving every minute of it.
Latino Celebrities Speak Out Against Anti-Immigrant Fear-Mongering
Today, celebrities including Benjamin Bratt, Ivonne Coll, America Ferrera, Dolores Huerta, George Lopez, Aubrey Plaza, Zoe Saldana, Carlos Santana, and others released an open letter calling on Latino communities to stand up to the anti-immigrant fear mongering of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates.
America Ferrera: Other Women Are Life Partners, Not Competition
America Ferrera knows just how valuable it can be to forge bonds between women. In conversation with feminist icon Gloria Steinem at the MAKERS conference on Monday night, Ferrera spoke about how she has been influenced by women over the course of her life. She was raised primarily by her mother, who she described as "an incredible force of nature," in a house of six children -- five of whom were girls. "There were so many women in my life," said Ferrera. "Strong women -- not always mentally sane women -- but strong women."
Why America Ferrera Is Saying 'Thank You!' to Donald Trump - ABC ...
Actress and activist America Ferrera joined the growing ranks of Donald Trump opponents today, arguing in an online missive that the real estate mogul's recent  ...
America Ferrera Eyes TV Comeback On ABC
America Ferrera may return to ABC. The former "Ugly Betty" actress' telenovela project "Pedro & Maria" is in development at the broadcast network as a potential  ...
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America Ferrera Graduating From College After 10 Years ...
"It's finally happening! Took me 10 years, but it feels great," the Ugly Betty star tweeted of her imminent graduation from the University of Southern California.
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