America's big new TV star, America Ferrera, relates to her role in "Ugly Betty" -- the awkward, sweet, chubby nerd in braces.
"In high school, you stand up and you've got gum stuck to your pants. You're in third grade, and you peed in your seat. A couple of times I did that," Ferrera, 22, says and laughs. "I was a late bloomer. I didn't have so much control over my bladder."
Even before "Ugly Betty" debuted, some in the media were speculating the comedy-drama could prosper because it is network TV's only title with a Hispanic woman in the central role. It also had the fortune of being based on a popular Colombian telenovela, which was said to be an enticement for this nation's growing Hispanic population.
But "Betty" is not a niche hit. The Thursday favorite is the fall's top-rated new series. Along with NBC's "Heroes," "Betty" has cracked the Top 20 list of programs recognized for snaring young viewers.
The success of "Betty" comes in covering the basics. It's the story of a budding woman working at a fashion magazine and getting along with her dad and family. It's well-written (partially by first-generation Americans), it's deeply acted and it's directed cinematically.
Then there's the star named America. ("In Latin America, it's not as uncommon a name," she says.) By Hollywood standards, she's not the sex symbol her boss, producer Salma Hayek, is.
Off camera, Ferrera looks drastically better. But while looking for work over the years, she's gone through the same visual rejections Betty has.
"It's very heartbreaking when you're not given the shot to show who you are on the inside," Ferrera says. "As an actress, you don't even get the chance to be rejected. They look at your 8-by-10, and you're not what they want on the outside."
This makes Ferrera's ascension even more remarkable. The tall glam she lacks has kept her from winning roles. But her memorable face and skills helped her land the lead in the 2002 film "Real Women Have Curves" and the role of Betty.
Hayek, 40, says she was insistent on hiring her. Ferrera didn't want to take the part if Betty was going to be treated as truly ugly.
"But when they explained the character to me, they had already fallen in love with her, and I fell in love with her," Ferrera says. "All of her beauty is in the inside, and you have to sit and watch to see her beauty. It's not what we want: instant gratification."
Ferrera grew up in Southern California. She has never visited the home of her heritage, though she would like to: "I'm a Honduran, and I've never stepped on Honduran [soil]."
Guys she liked never paid attention to her as a kid, she says with a smile. At home, she watched repeats of "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley" and "I Love Lucy."
"There weren't that many Latino faces" on TV, she says. "But I also grew up as an American. I grew up in the Valley. So I didn't feel any different from the children I went to school with, other than the fact that at home, I had a different culture."
At its base, "Ugly Betty" is just a TV show. But Ferrera says it can give viewers the feeling they are not alone.
"I can't go out there and save the world, but if I can look at the child next to me and make them feel alive and like they are not invisible for a second, that feels like a real reward."
Producer Hayek Stresses Inner Beauty
The underlying message of "Ugly Betty" is that beauty goes beyond skin deep. This is an interesting notion propelled by producer Salma Hayek, a sex symbol. But she claims she herself rarely gussies up or thinks about her looks.
"Because I have so many interests in life, I don't spend as much time evaluating whether I feel pretty," she says.
(Easy for her to say.)
"My mind is so focused on so many other things, I don't think, 'How do I look?' so much."
And then she says this: "Not that I couldn't use making myself look prettier."
Uh-huh. Right.
Hayek makes guest appearances tonight on "Betty" and through the rest of November. This is her first splash there since the series made its debut, when she played an actress in a telenovela that Betty's family watched on television.
Hayek sometimes gets emotional talking about America Ferrera. She worked hard to get Ferrera cast as the lead, both actresses say.
"She is 22, and she is so smart, and so talented, and so professional," Hayek says, almost to the point of tears. "America needs America."
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