Betty rocks!
America Ferrera,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is definitely the best thing to happen to TV in a long while. Should you not have been paying attention, you will be interested to know that the plot follows the working lives of Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) and Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius), who form an unlikely, yet adorable alliance, as they strive to prove they can both succeed in the vicious world of fashion publishing.
Salma\'s special touch
Salma Hayek,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Betty\'s earliest incarnation first materialised in the famous Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty la Fea - which literally translates to \'I am Betty, the Ugly\'. It was adapted for American audiences by Salma Hayek\'s production company, Ventarosa. Selma actually appears in the pilot episode of Ugly Betty as an actress in a fictional telenovela that is watched by Betty\'s family.
Bella telenovela
Salma Hayek,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Incidentally, those telenovela scenes were all performed by real-life telenovela stars. Actors include Marlene Favela, Sebastian Rulli, Ninel Conde, Helena Rojo, Eduardo Rodriguez and of course Salma Hayek, who is actually a bit of a telenovela veteran don\'t ya know!
Pretty Betty
America Ferrera,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Have you seen Betty without the braces and hair? Behind the weird eyebrows and crazy clothes lies a beautiful young woman… \'She\'s a gorgeous girl with an incredible style sensibility in her personal life,\' says hair department head Roddy Stayton. \'What we do is Bettify her in the morning. It\'s in contrast to the rest of the show, where everybody else is glammed up\'.
Mighty Mode
magazine awards,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Once upon a time, there was a real-life fashion magazine called Mode. Not that it was anything like the magazine that Betty works for – it was actually aimed at plus-size women. Unfortunately, the publication closed down in 2001.
B is for Boleyn
America Ferrera,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Did you know that Betty\'s \'B\' necklace is actually a reproduction of the one famously worn by Henry the VIII\'s ill-fated wife Anne Boleyn?
In vogue
TV,anna wintour,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Those writers just can\'t help having a crack at American Vogue\'s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, can they? Mode\'s shadowy former Editor-in-Chief is called Fey Sommers. Very punny indeed.
Double trouble
TV,becki newton,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Midway through the first series, Betty meets her spitting image – a co-worker who sports huge glasses, a mouth full of metal and an equally terrible dress sense! The role of this doppelganger is played by Becki Newton who also plays the glamorous, yet ultra bitchy Amanda in the series.
Have we met before?
Eric Mabius,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Eric Mabius (who plays Daniel Mead) and Alan Dale (who plays Bradford Meade) have another hit show in common – having both appeared in The OC. Alan played devious businessman Caleb Nichol, while Eric played disgraced Dean of Discipline, Jack Hess.
Multi-talented
TV,Vanessa Williams,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Vanessa Williams, who plays wily Wilhelmina Slater, is not only a great actress but also a Grammy award nominated pop star. Her last album, Everlasting Love was released in 2005.
Lucky lass
Ashley Jensen,TV,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ashley Jenson, who plays Betty\'s only ally Christina, apparently fell into the role after holidaying in California and finding out that she was a big hit Stateside due to her appearances in Ricky Gervais\'s hilarious hit series Extras. After acquiring an agent (the same agent who looks after Samuel L Jackson no less) she was summoned to audition for the part of Christina. During a recent interview Ashley admitted, \'Originally [Christina] was supposed to be American but then when I met them, they said: "We love your accent!"\'
Don\'t miss it!
TV,shopping,Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty (series two) is currently showing on Fridays at 9pm on
Channel 4. In the meantime, you can purchase the series one DVD
here, or, if you are a hard core fan of the show, you can buy Ugly Betty ponchos, mugs and other accessories at the official Ugly Betty shop,
here.
