5 Ways Ugly Betty Is America Ferrera’s Best Role (& 5 Why It’s Superstore’s Amy Sosa)

There’s no doubt that America Ferrera’s two most recognizable roles in television are Betty Suarez from comedic drama Ugly Betty, and Amy Sosa from the sitcom Superstore. In both shows, Ferrera played the main female lead; Betty Suarez – the quirky, ambitious assistant and writer of MODE magazine, and Amy Sosa – the hard-working and layered employee of a Cloud 9 superstore.

Both Amy and Betty were strong and memorable Latina women who had their own triumphs and tribulations, and whose personalities allowed for unique performance exploration from Ferrera. With a different environment, reality, friends, and storyline for each, which character excelled in which aspects compared to the other?

10 Betty Suarez: Her Optimism

Betty’s friend, boss, and ambiguous love interest Daniel describes her as “a force of nature, a positive one, like sunshine, but a force nonetheless.” She’s a compassionate and bright character who leaves a glowing impression on those she comes into contact with.

She’s dedicated to solving problems, helping others, and keeping a positive outlook in helpless situations. Betty is of high energy and spark. Her inquisitive and perceptive nature believes that anything can be done if there is effort, compassion, and passion.

9 Amy Sosa: Her Relatability

In comparison to Betty and her dramatic environment and intense life, Amy Sosa is a more relatable character. She has responsibilities and goals that viewers can apply to their own circumstances. Her job isn’t glamourous but it’s a way to get by. She doesn’t love going there and would rather be somewhere else. Amy is also funny, awkward, resilient, and authentic.

She doesn’t have great ambition at first but grows in her capacity, recognizing the potential of her situation and how she can further excel. Amy’s life didn’t go the way she planned, which makes her flexibility and hard work all the more respected.

8 Betty Suarez: Her Colorful & Dramatic World

Ugly Betty was based on a telenovela, and it honored the colorful world and exciting plot twists of the genre. Betty’s environment is loud, big, bold, and dramatic. Her work and home life, once separate realities, merge into each other, forcing Betty to become coherent in the way she lives.

There are scheming characters, high fashion, and shocking cliffhangers. Everything is allowed to be over the top. Betty is the heart and soul of the show, fitting in by way of sticking out.

7 Amy Sosa: Her Relationships With Jonah & Dina

Amy and Jonah’s will-they-won’t-they dynamic stemmed from their brilliant chemistry. From their very first encounter, viewers knew they were in for a long and complex storyline between the two individuals Their friendship made for hilarious scenes while also furthering viewers’ knowledge of the characters and their impact on each other.

Amy’s friendship with Dina was also a highlight of the sitcom, showing the growth of two strong female characters who were independent and vastly different yet bonded and supported each other. Sosa’s character is selfless and trusted by many.

6 Betty Suarez: She Redefined Society’s View Of Beauty

Ugly Betty was a show that broke the mold. Set in a fashion magazine where beauty, style, and looks are everything, Ugly Betty introduced the character of Betty Suarez – and she was considered anything but trendy. There was no transformation that suddenly revealed a stunning person underneath the glasses and braces.

There was no need as Betty had always been beautiful. Although the show did eventually make Betty more “fashionable” and removed her braces, the characters and viewers have already fallen in love with her character, already knowing what type of person she was. The outmoded concept of beauty had new standards; all-encompassing and accepting.

5 Amy Sosa: Her Realism

Amy Sosa is a character who knows her reality and doesn’t deny it. She faced the hard times with determination and perseverance. She wasn’t constantly happy or looking on the bright side and didn’t put on a face for anyone.

She accepted her circumstances and went from there. She was flawed, found it difficult to let go, and didn’t put herself first. Compared to Betty the dreamer, Amy was a realist. Her messy life didn’t stop her from being a badass.

4 Betty Suarez: Her Impact On Others

Betty’s relationships, whether romantic or platonic, always left a great impact on those involved. Her assistant-boss dynamic with Daniel became one of friendship and support, each changing the other for the better, one always there for the other.

Betty’s close-knit family unit was explored in-depth, showing just how reliant and trusting they were and how important family was. Betty was shown respect by those who didn’t credit others easily, receiving the congratulations of Wilhelmina Slater.

3 Amy Sosa: Addressing Discrimination In The Workplace

Although Ugly Betty also addresses the reality of people of color in the workplace, Superstore brings this to a more intimate level in the everyday world of working in a store. Amy works in an environment with a diverse group of coworkers, all of which face different challenges.

Amy faces discrimination in the workplace – from being used as a stereotype to sell a product to fitting the candidate requirements like her background (not experience), for a promotion. The series starts the conversation by delving into the reality of the constant battle against ignorance.

2 Betty Suarez: Her Ambition

From the very beginning, Betty was ambitious. She applied to MODE to get a start on her writing career and get her to a place where she could eventually start her own magazine. She knew where she wanted to be in the future and she played fair.

She teamed up with Daniel as they engaged in a constant struggle against those who wanted the Meade empire and would do anything to get it. Her ambition was fueled by the noble intention to create something that would inspire people for the better.

1 Amy Sosa: Ferrera’s Progression After Ugly Betty

Betty Suarez was a breakthrough role for America Ferrera. Viewers saw the progression of the actress as she tackled the fearless and energetic character of Betty, how she defined the role, how she represented strong Latina women and quirky girls as the protagonist.

But it was Amy Sosa who brought a different level to the actress’s career. With both roles being so different, Ferrera showed just how flexible and capable she was of portraying them and doing the characters justice.

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