America Ferrera

Ugly Betty's America Ferrera

UPDATED 10/02/2006 at 01:00 AM EDT • Originally published 10/02/2006 at 01:00 AM EDT

AGE: 22
HOMETOWN: Los Angeles
LATEST GIG: The not-so-fashion-forward Betty Suarez on ABC's Ugly Betty, premiering Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET

• UGLY IS BEAUTIFUL
Playing a homely assistant at a fashion magazine, Ferrera embraces Betty's braces and bulky sweaters. "Think back to Charlize Theron's role in Monster—[ugly] roles are enticing," she explains. "It's fun as an actress to go somewhere extreme. I'm okay if people don't know who I am, but if you remember my character that would be great."

• GLAM SLAMMED
"I really hate the duties of being a celebrity, like getting dressed up for the red carpet," says Ferrera, who is one semester away from a degree in international relations at USC. "I work myself into a lather where I'm like, 'This isn't me. This isn't what I want to be doing. I just want to be in my sweats, walk my dog, watch TV and eat pizza.'"

• GO FIGURE
"I think it's hilarious when magazines call Jessica Alba or Eva Longoria curvy," says Ferrera, who flaunted her voluptuous form in the 2002 Sundance hit Real Women Have Curves. "Come on. They're not curvy, they're small—I'm curvy!"

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