America Ferrera is an American actress, producer, and director. Making her debut as Ana in Real Girls Have Curves in 2002, Ferrera’s career has flourished ever since. Making appearances in Disney Original films before making headlines as Carmen in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ferrera has built up a nice portfolio of work, ranging from drama to comedy.

Ferrera has garnered a number of awards over the years, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award, particularly for her work on the 2000s TV seriesUgly Betty. These awards are not taken lightly and require outstanding performances from those who receive them. Ferrera’s lengthy filmography has a number of works that are note-worthy, like her performance in Superstore and End of Watch, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. These are America Ferrera’s best performances, ranked.

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8 Our Family Wedding

     Searchlight Pictures

After returning from college, Lucia and Marcus announce their engagement to their family, leading to a lot of thrills. As much as Lucia and Marcus look forward to planning their wedding, they soon come to realize that the wedding is not just theirs, but their families as well. When the soon-to-be in-laws butt heads about the finer details of the weddings, the happy couple worries that their special day may end up being more about competition between the families than the celebration of love. Ferrera stars as the blushing bride in Our Family Wedding alongside Lance Gross, Regina King, and Forest Whitaker in this feel-good film from 2010.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7 How to Train Your Dragon Franchise

     DreamWorks Animation

Voicing one of the toughest Vikings with the potential to become a fierce warrior, Astrid, Ferrera really manages to bring the character to life through the series of films. Set in the fictional town of Berk, the plot follows the adventures of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his oddball group of friends including Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Astrid. From his journey to understanding that dragons can indeed be tamed in the first How to Train Your Dragon film to the developing relationship between Hiccup and Astrid as seen in the second and third films, the franchise is highly praised as entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

6 Under the Same Moon

     Ligiah Villalobos

A Mexican-American film in both Spanish and English, Under the Same Moon, tells the story of Rosario, a single mother who leaves her son Carlitos in the care of his grandmother in order to illegally cross the border into the U.S. for a better life. When Carlitos’ grandmother passes away, Carlitos sets off on a mission to join his mother in the U.S. so he can be with what remains of the family that truly cares about him. Ferrera plays the role of Martha, and while her role is a small one, it is still worth mentioning as one of her greatest performances in a film so poignant.

5 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Franchise

     Alcon Entertainment

Based on the novels under the same name, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants tells the story of teenagers Bridget (Blake Lively), Carmen (Ferrera), Lena (Alexis Bledel), and Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) who have been inseparable since birth. When the girls are finally going their separate ways for the summer, they discover a pair of jeans that somehow magically, and perfectly, fits every girl, despite very different body types. The pants keep the girls bonded even through the toughest of times. Two films have been released, and a third, according to The Cinemaholic, is in development, along with a musical adaptation. Ferrera even earned an Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actress for her performance.

4 End of Watch

     StudioCanal

End of Watch follows LAPD partners Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala who patrol one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in L.A.. The film follows the pair on a regular day for them involving both laughter and danger, as the partners must stay on their guard at all times. Ferrera plays the role of Officer Orozoco, a co-worker of Taylor and Zavala. End of Watch has been subject to a great deal of praise and has even been nominated for a number of accolades, including two Independent Spirit Awards. According to Deadline, the story of the film has even been green-lit for a TV series adaptation with development having begun at Fox.

3 Real Women Have Curves

     HBO

One of Ferrera’s most remembered roles is as Ana García in Real Women Have Curves. The film follows her passage through womanhood as a young first-generation, Mexican-American woman who wants to go to college while her family believes she should stay home and provide for her family. To satisfy both their needs, Ana works with her mom at a sewing factory over the summer to help her learn the realities of life before making a decision. In Ferrera’s debut film, she was praised for her performance and even earned a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance.

2 Ugly Betty

     ABC

Ferrera plays the titular character of ambitious writer Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty. Betty is a plain girl from Queens whose only dream is to become a writer. Betty’s life takes a turn for the better when she gets hired as an assistant to the head of Mode magazine, Daniel. While the main reason for Betty getting the job was to avoid Daniel from sleeping with her, the job opens up new opportunities for Betty. Though Ugly Betty struggled with ratings and finding a concrete audience, it gained a cult following. On top of this, Ferrera earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

1 Superstore

     NBC

Superstore follows a group of employees at the fictional megastore Cloud 9 as they deal with bargain hunters and boring training sessions. Running from 2015 to 2021, Superstore received generally positive reviews for being an underrated light-hearted sitcom that is a must-watch for anyone looking for a few good laughs. Ferrera plays the role of Amy, a store manager who runs Cloud 9 to the best of her ability. Amy always wears a different name tag at work because she doesn’t like strangers using her real name. Ferrera’s performance earned her a Gracie Award for Actress in a Leading Role – Comedy or Musical.