When "Ugly Betty" premiered in 2006, a new star was born. That star was American-born actress America Ferrera.
The actress was born in 1984 to Honduran parents América Griselda Ayes and Carlos Gregorio Ferrera. Ferrera grew up in Los Angeles, California and started her acting career at the age of seven when she landed a small role in a school production of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." She started taking acting classes at the age of 15 and graduated as the high school Valedictorian. She promptly attended the University of Southern California and pursued a double major in theater and international relations.
She made her screen debut in 2002 in the Disney Channel TV movie "Gotta Kick It Up!" and made her feature film debut that same year in "Real Women Have Curves." Throughout her early career she engaged in a number of feature films including "Lords of Dogtown" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," but her profile remained low to the average audience member.
In 2006, her rise to fame came when she landed the lead role in the hit series "Ugly Betty," where she played an ugly secretary named Betty who develops a bond with her boss Daniel. Ferrera won a number of awards for her performance in the series including a Golden Globe in 2007 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy; she received Golden Globe nominations for the role in 2008 and 2009. Ferrera also landed a SAG victory for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in 2007; she was nominated in 2008 and 2009 for the same award.
Ferrera has since landed a number of roles in high profile shows and films such as "The Good Wife," "How to Train Your Dragon" (and its sequel) and "End of Watch." She will be seen on the upcoming "Chavez" and "X/Y."
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