America Ferrera Biography

America Ferrera was fresh out of high school when her starring role in the 2002 film Real Women Have Curves earned critical raves among the independent film crowd. From there she landed a few small roles in feature films before being chosen for the lead role in Ugly Betty, an ABC television series that began in 2006. (Her official site described the title character as "an unattractive but spirited secretary who doesn't quite fit in at the high fashion magazine where she works.") An American of Honduran heritage, Ferrera has been involved in theater productions since she was a child. In addition to starring in feature films and TV shows, she also began classes at the University of Southern California, and added an executive producer credit to her resumé for the 2007 Colombian film Hacia la Obscuridad (Towards Darkness). Her other films include Lords of Dogtown (2005, starring Heath Ledger) and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005).

Extra credit: Famed insurer Lloyd's of London announced in May of 2007 that they had insured Ferrera's smile for $10 million. The policy was taken out by Aquafresh to support Smiles For Success, a dental care program for low-income women.