Trigger warning: The following article contains references to suicide and sexual assault.
The Honduran American star has been candid about her struggle to get recognition in Hollywood as a Latina entertainer.
America Ferrera’s story isn’t as widely known.
“That meant leaving my heritage behind and trying to fit in.”
Carving out a place in Hollywood was especially difficult.
“After all, there were no successful actresses like me,” the actor explained.
“I was brown, short, overweight, and poor.”
It was up to her to move forward and make the dreams she had come true.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, the star revealed that she had been sexually assaulted as a child.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
In 2019, Ferrera gave aTED Talkthat went deep into her experience as a Latina in Hollywood.
“I didn’t get the job,” she recalled.
Ferrera was understandably frustrated by the roles she was presented with.
“I wanted to play people that were complex and multidimensional,” she said.
Eventually, she came to the realization that it was the industry that needed to change and not her.
There have been rumblings about feuds between her and her co-stars on more than one occasion.
Ferrera certainly isn’t the first woman in Hollywood to point this out.
It’s the nature of the game, with cancelations often coming out of the blue.
However, America Ferrera knows the sting of a premature cancelation better than most.
I’m so proud of what we’ve done."
Sadly for the star, the disappointments didn’t end there.
The show lasted just two seasons on Netflix before it was canceled in 2021.
Ferrera took to Instagram to voice her disappointment in a since-deleted post.
Horta, who was just 45 years old, was found dead in a Miami motel.
She took to Instagram to express her sorrow.
“His talent and creativity brought me and so many others such joy & light.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available.
In late December 2023, she appeared on the BBC Radio 4’s program “Women’s Hour.”
“It was more about her being a human in a pretend world.”
“There was no path for someone like me,” she said.
