America The Free

Emmy-winning actress America Ferrara want to start a cultural revolution - with comedy as her weapon of choice. 

- Lilliam Rivera, photos by John Russo

It's early Friday morning, and America Ferrera is already on her second cup of coffee. Outfitted in preppy chic with a lightweight teal sweater, dark blue jeans, and flats, the 31-year-old Honduran American actress is eager to begin, but when construction noise blankets the patio of the Beverly Hills Four Seasons restaurant, Ferrera grabs her cup and looks for a quiet nook. “They probably won’t be able to find us here,” she says cheerily. Once we begin, it’s all business. Thoughtful and articulate, Ferrera is not one to serve up glib answers. “I take it very seriously when I’m deciding what I’m going to give my life to, and as I get older, time becomes more precious and valuable,” she says. “Things that I would have done as a young upstart I think twice about now because I have a family that I want to spend time with and friends who are important to me.”

Yes, this is the same actress who wore fake metal braces for four seasons on the Emmy-winning sitcom Ugly Betty and stripped down to her underwear to cool her body in her 2002 breakout film, Real Women Have Curves. She looks the same, still curvy, with long, wavy brown hair in a casual side braid and big brown eyes with minimal makeup. But this is a new Ferrera. Reflective. Determined. A woman who knows what she wants. Not only is she back on the small screen starring in NBC’s new workplace comedy, Superstore, she’s also hot off a production deal to develop shows and features with ABC Studios. More importantly, Ferrera is on a mission to give Hollywood a serious face-lift. Whether it’s producing a family drama or costarring in a sitcom, Ferrera is intent on telling diverse stories that reflect the world we actually live in.