"Growing up, I always watched my life as a movie," says America Ferrera.
An L.A. native, Ferrera is the youngest of six children born to parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras. At the age of 5, she told her mother that she was going to become an actress. While Ferrera may have been watching her life as a movie, the movies that she was seeing in real life were not reflective of her childhood dreams.
"I was this short, chubby Latina girl who was not Latina enough or white enough to really fit into any box. And as a daughter of Honduran immigrants, who were poor and unconnected to the industry, I had this crazy dream," she reflects. "My dream seemed so unlikely to just about everyone around me."
Ferrera eventually attended the University of Southern California on a presidential scholarship, where she studied dramatic arts and international relations. She made her film debut in 2002's coming-of-age comedy-drama, Real Women Have Curves, which won the Audience Award for best dramatic film at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Special Jury Prize for acting for Ferrera and her co-star Lupe Ontiveros.
After her breakout performance in the film, Ferrera was cast as the lead in the comedy series, Ugly Betty, which soon became a hit. In 2007, she won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Betty Suarez, becoming the first Latina woman to win the award.
"I dreamed of spending my life doing something I loved," Ferrera says, "and making work that makes people feel the way I felt when I watched the movies and TV shows and plays that I loved."
With Barbie, Ferrera reached new heights. In Greta Gerwig's hit fantasy comedy, Ferrera plays Gloria, an everywoman who becomes the unlikely savior of Barbie Land. For her performance, she received her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
"The Oscars feel like the top of the mountain," she says. "I remember watching Julia Roberts win, and watching Halle Berry win, and wishing that one day I'd make it there. So, it's been really surreal and emotional, and it almost feels like I'm in a montage in the movie of my own life, where you're like, 'Oh my God, we're at the part where she made it!'"
Below, Ferrera shares with A.frame the five films that had the biggest impact on her.
Directed by: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff | Written by: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton
The first movie that ever felt like a deep cinematic event and also a personal transformation was watching The Lion King when I was a kid. I still think it's one of the best movies of all time. Also, I know all the lyrics! Don't ask me to sing them, but I do.
Directed by: Penny Marshall | Written by: Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
My sisters and I watched A League of Their Own over and over again, and loved it so much. That was probably the first time I fell in love with Tom Hanks. And then knowing that it was Penny Marshall, I just love that movie so much. And there are so many freaking icons in it! Like, true icons all around.
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón | Written by: Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón
As this American girl who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, I remember Y tu mamá también just busting my view of myself, and my view of the world, and my view of being Latina. It really made me see myself differently. Also, because I was not in any way a sophisticated movie watcher — and I still really don't want to pretend like I'm a sophisticated movie watcher; I watch everything and I love all kinds of things — that was one of those movies that made me see what was possible in cinema. It's just a brilliant movie.
Directed by: Irving Rapper | Written by: Casey Robinson
In college, I went through a real Bette Davis phase. I was obsessed with Bette Davis. I am obsessed with Bette Davis. My production company is called Take Fountain after her famed quote. But there was a period where I fell asleep to the movie Now, Voyager for three months of my life, and I would just watch that movie over and over. It's not a short movie — that's the falling asleep part — but Now, Voyager was so big for me at a certain point in my life. And I still think it is one of the best performances and movies of all time.
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola | Written by: John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola
I discovered Francis Ford Coppola and Apocalypse Now around college too, and that had an impact on me. Apocalypse Now was another one of those movie where all of a sudden you're like, 'I didn't know movies could be this!'
