Ana Ortiz
Ana Ortiz stars as Hilda Suarez on ABC's hit comedy Ugly Betty. With her fantastic comedic timing, positive attitude and true talent, Ana Ortiz is one star on the rise who we can't take our eyes off of!
The Star Scoop:
Tell us about what's going on with Ugly Betty. You've had a pretty big story line going on.
Ana Ortiz:
Everything's been amazing. I mean, it's just sort of, it's so unreal, like who knew all of this was going to happen? When we started this show, it was just sort of this little show, but we all loved it. The way that people responded to it, and everything, it's just been sort of unbelievable. We went right back to work after the Globes, so it's just been incredible. It's becoming more real, when I see my family.
The Star Scoop:
There always seems to be, whenever a show becomes really successful, drama and problems. What do you guys do on set to maintain that healthy environment?
Ortiz:
It's so funny. We have the most fun. First of all, the crew that we're working with is unbelievable. They're all really funny. They keep it light and they work harder than anybody else, any of us combined. They're there from beginning to end. They help us a lot keep it light. It's like being in a family, and when one of us starts to slip, the others are there to boost you back up. We have so much fun, it hasn't even seemed like work so far. It's just been so much fun. I look forward to seeing everybody every day. If I don't work for a couple of days, I miss everyone. I think we're just really blessed. Maybe it's because we're in our first year, I don't know. There hasn't been any drama or any really horrible [laughs] sadness or anything like that. It's just been incredibly fun. And America - sometimes the directors won't call cut at the end of the scene, and they'll just let it go and that's when America sort of really has fun, because she'll just start improving, and because the rest of us come from a theater background mostly, we just go right along with it. Most of that stuff ends up on the gag reel, but every once in a while it ends up on screen.
The Star Scoop:
How will Ugly Betty help you in the future?
Ortiz:
So far it's pretty much been all Betty all the time. I'm really hoping that it will give me more exposure. As an actor, when you walk into the room, if they recognize you, if they like the show, it just gives you that little bit of an edge or it gives you something to talk about and it's been really wonderful. I've just met some people and they're always so surprised that I'm actually different than Hilda. That's really fun and something that I'm hoping to be able to do as well, just sort of go in an opposite direction of Hilda.
The Star Scoop:
What is so great about Ugly Betty? Why is everyone so captivated by it?
Ortiz:
I think it's just timing. I think people are really ready for it. I think we're ready to see ourselves represented on TV. That's the thing, I remember when I first read the script, I was like, oh my god, this is us, this is my family, this is how we are, you know? It's really refreshing to see that. All my friends are excited that it's just this really strong, intelligent woman, who doesn't sort of walk around in a size zero and complain about how difficult it is to be rich and beautiful. She puts one foot in front of the other and faces her adversity with such humanity. I think It's how we all are living our lives, and it's nice to see it represented on TV. I think once you see it, it's just like, oh, I love this, I want to see what else she goes through, I went through something like that. It's very relatable. We also have the Mode stuff, which is really fun and campy, so it's like the best of both worlds.
The Star Scoop:
It revolves a lot around those characters that are part of the show, yourself included. They're small but they're extremely instrumental in the show.
Ortiz:
Yeah, I think so, too. It's the first time on television that I've really got to sort of get into a character and explore it, because usually the stuff I've been in has been as guest stars or the shows have been cancelled before you get to really dig in. So the only time you really get to have this experience is with theater. So, to be able to do this on TV has been so incredibly fun and it's true. They really are giving each of us layers, and it's amazing with such a big cast that these writers manage to do it, but they do, and they're just incredible.
The Star Scoop:
Obviously you're going to know people you work with most, but who would we be surprised are friends in real life or hang out? You see people on the show who don't even interact and then you find out these two are close in real life. Is there anything going on like that?
Ortiz:
Walter, the guy who plays Walter, Kevin Sussman, he and I have actually become really, really good friends. He's from New York, I'm from New York, he and his wife. We just sort of, I don't know, he and I just developed a really strong friendship. His wife and my finace, we always hang out, stuff like that. We've had, like, maybe a scene together. It's hard to say, I mean, I'm trying to think. We all kind of hang out, you know? We have like this sort of set up where every couple weeks we'll have a dinner of all of us together, and it's always a different house. It's interesting. Obviously the people who you would think hang out, hang out, but mostly, we all kind of do. It's been pretty great. We've all sort of made an effort to say hey, you guys want to have dinner this week? And we all kind of hook it up and do it. It's been amazing, amazing, amazing.
The Star Scoop:
You said earlier, that people will meet you and be really surprised that you're different from Hilda. How are you different, but also do you have anything in common?
Ortiz:
I have so much in common with Hilda, it's crazy. I think there is a little bit of Hilda in everybody. I think that's true for most of the characters. You know, it's funny, because my cousins will watch it back home, and they'll call me and, they'll be like, you were imitating me, weren't you? I know you were imitating me, and I'm like, no I wasn't, okay, maybe a little bit I was. Hilda is definitely a part of my family and a part of me. But the other thing is that, you know, she's got such a sort of chutzpah, and she and Betty have this fearless thing, just walk into an situation and give it a go. Only Hilda doesn't really have the same social skills that Betty has, maybe? She's just a little bit louder, I think, and that's also true for me. Every time my finace and I go out, we'll go see a comedy show and I end up laughing really too loud, like way too loud. I can't help it. I guess I'm pretty loud. But I'm Puerto Rican, what do you want?
The Star Scoop:
How do you keep yourself grounded when you know in the back of your mind that you are part of this hugely successful show?
Ortiz:
I've got a really, really amazing support system and friends and family and they, they can snap you back to reality very quick. All of this, I've been working for a while and it's just, I guess, I don't know. I just don't think it's in me to go there. I could imagine if I was America, being this young and having all of this, I can see why all of these girls sort of freak out, because it's a lot, but she handles it with such amazing grace and incredible maturity. You see that, and how can you even pretend to act like some crazy diva? My mother's there in a hot minute, like, what? Calm down, you know what I mean?
The Star Scoop:
Have you had time to anything fun for yourself?
Ortiz:
I'm getting married in June, so that's been pretty time consuming and also I take an improv class in L.A., and other than that, I don't really have that much time. I try to hang out with my guy and my friends when I don't have a lot of time. So if I'm not planning the wedding, doing Ugly Betty, or taking a class, then I'm pretty much home on the couch [laughs] hanging out.
The Star Scoop:
Everybody is watching Ugly Betty, that's the hit show. What are you watching?
Ortiz:
I have TiVo, which is like the best invention...I'm absolutely positive. I watch Heroes, I love it. I watch Dexter, which is an amazing show and Weeds. AndThe Soup [laughs], and Best Week Ever. I love that. I love Project Runway when it's on. 30 Rock is hysterical, Grey's Anatomy, I'm completely obsessed.