Who is America Ferrera, the Barbie actress awarded at the Critics Choice for her feminist work

America Ferrera was the protagonist of one of the most emotional moments of the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, which took place this Sunday at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles. THE actress with Honduran roots She was the eighth woman to receive the award “See her”that since 2016 It honors female protagonists of the big screen who “advocate for gender equality, play characters with authenticity, challenge stereotypes and push boundaries.”

The award was presented to her by her castmate Margot Robbie, who pointed out what What she admires about America is how she handled the pressure of being the first Latina actress with so much visibility. in cinema and television, “without ever being afraid to tell the truth”.

After collecting the prize, and as expected, America gave an inspiring speech to all the women watchingand who followed her throughout her career.

“I grew up in love with television, cinema and theatre. I desperately wanted to be part of a narrative legacy in which I couldn’t see myself reflected.“said the actress in front of the microphone. She talked about her childhood, dreaming of becoming an actress in an industry where she didn’t see women of Latin origin like her represented.

Furthermore, Ferrera thanked the Latin actresses of Hollywood, such as Jenna Ortega and Selena Gomez, who today continue to represent thousands of women on television and in the cinema. He particularly highlighted all those directors and writers who allow the existence of an increasingly broad ethnic and cultural representation.

Barbie and the challenge of being a woman

“When Greta Gerwig She needed someone to talk to about the true experience of what it means to be a woman, there was only one voice in her head.”said Margot Robbie during the Critics Choice ceremony.

In 2023, Ferrera played Gloria in the hit film Barbie. The actress moved millions of viewers in a particular moment of the film, still viral on social media today: in this scene, America stages a monologue that addresses the problems that women experience every day.

“Being a woman is literally impossible”, says the character America at the beginning of his emotional speech in Barbie. The actress speaks firsthand about all the contradictions women have to face to live in society, and how tiring that can be.

Awarded for 20 years of experience

America Ferrera became world famous in 2006when he acted Ugly Bettythe American version of the Colombian soap opera I’m Ugly Betty, which aired on the ABC television network. Thanks to this role, the actress she won a Golden Globe and was recognized as Best Actress at the SAG Awards.

Also, the role of Betty Suárez made her the first and only Latina woman to win the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Actressas Margot Robbie underlined during the award ceremony See her this Sunday.

The 39-year-old actress began her career as a young girl. She made her film debut at the age of 18, when she starred in Real women have curves in the role of Ana. The film, directed by Colombian Patricia Cardoso, was declared “culturally, historically and aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress in 2019 and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Additionally, America played Carmen Lowell in the 2005 hit film, Inseparable friendssharing a cast with TV stars Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel.