EXCLUSIVE: Ugly Betty stars Ana Ortiz (Goosebumps, Love, Victor) and Mark Indelicato (Hacks, With Love) will take a trip down memory lane, as the pair sets the launch of a new series rewatch podcast for Thursday, October 2, just days after the ABC hit turns 19.
In a co-production between Propagate Content and iHeartMedia’s My Cultura Podcast Network, “Viva Betty: An Ugly Betty Rewatch” will be a weekly podcast reuniting the small-screen mother and son as they revisit the show that changed their lives, one episode at a time. While nostalgia factors into the reason for doing the podcast, Ortiz and Indelicato look forward to spotlighting the groundbreaking series’ cultural impact.
Developed by the late Sylvio Horta and based on the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea, Ugly Betty premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ran for four seasons until 2010. The series centered on the titular writer Betty Suarez, played by then-rising star America Ferrera, whose breakthrough role was Ana García in Real Women Have Curves, but was best known at the time for being part of the ensemble cast of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Much like her role in Real Women Have Curves, Ferrera helped to redefine beauty standards, specifically for Latin Americans caught between two worlds: the United States and their family’s home countries—ni de aquí ni de allá.
Betty, a quirky Mexican American with adult braces and cute red prescription glasses, often incorporated her culture into her ensembles using bright colors and patterns, like her famous poncho with the city of Guadalajara emblazoned across the front. While working at high-fashion magazine Mode, she was often mocked for her fashion choices, but she proudly wore what made her feel happy. Why fit in when you can stand out?
While the story did focus on Betty and her adventures, just as important are the characters who are closest to her: her older sister Hilda (Ortiz), a single mom to Justin (Indelicato), and the family patriarch, their father Ignacio, played by the legendary Tony Plana. The family matriarch, Rosa, died of cancer before the timeline covered on Ugly Betty.
The series gave viewers an inside look at the Latin American family experience, revealing how universal the community’s stories are, as well as centering the immigrant experience and positioning LGBTQ+ storylines front and center. Justin’s coming-of-age and coming-out stories were of vital importance, particularly at a time when it was rare to see positive depictions of gay characters on television.
For playing Betty, Ferrera received two Emmy Award nominations, winning in 2007 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Across the show’s run, it was nominated for a total of 19 Emmys, with three wins, including Ferrera’s, among multiple other accolades.
“It’s beyond my wildest dreams to be hosting ‘Viva Betty’ with Ana. I’m so excited to have the perfect excuse to spend even more time with my best friend and catch up with our Ugly Betty family,” said Indelicato.
“Ugly Betty was more than just a TV show for me — it was a family, an experience that shaped my life in ways I’ll never forget. Getting to revisit those stories and reunite with the cast and crew who made them so special feels like coming home. I can’t wait to relive the magic with Mark and share it with old fans and a whole new generation,” added Ortiz.
“Viva Betty” will welcome guests who were part of the cast and crew, like Ferrera, Plana, Vanessa Williams, who played Wilhelmina Slater, and Judith Light, who played Claire Meade, along with pilot director Richard Shepard, and executive producer of Ugly Betty and “Viva Betty,” Teri Weinberg, among others that will be revealed at a later time.
The Ugly Betty cast also includes Ashley Jensen, Becki Newton, Rebecca Romijn, and Michael Urie. Newton and Urie have their own series rewatch podcast, “Still Ugly,” which has been paused since April. If the cast list is any indication of potential guests, the sky is the limit. Just between the Suarez sisters’ past love interests, there is so much drama to explore.
Betty dated characters played by Freddy Rodriguez, Christopher Gorham, Daniel Eric Gold, and Eric Mabius. While Hilda dated characters played by Adam Rodriguez, Ralph Macchio, Eddie Cibrian, and Kevin Alejandro. Other notable names who appeared on the show include Lindsay Lohan, Salma Hayek, whose production company Ventanarosa was a producer of Ugly Betty, Gabrielle Union, John Cho, Rita Moreno, Justina Machado, Bernadette Peters, Luna Lauren Velez, Octavia Spencer, Christine Baranski and Lucy Liu, among so many others.
Yes, it’s time for an Ugly Betty rewatch with Indelicato and Ortiz, with fresh eyes and no filter.
“There aren’t many stories of us in mainstream media that truly and respectfully represent the joy and amazing nuances of being Latino. Ugly Betty did that and created an unprecedented impact on American pop culture at large. That’s the power of authenticity. We’re thrilled to partner with Ana, Mark and the team at Propagate to revisit a show that touched so many lives from all walks of life,” shared Leo Gomez, head of iHeartMedia’s My Cultura Podcast Network.
The My Cultura Podcast Network launched in May 2021 and is currently the home to more than 60 podcasts, including hit series like “Princess of South Beach,” “Wrestling with Freddie,” and “He Said, Ella Dijo with Eric Winter and Roselyn Sanchez.” In June, Eva Longoria and her studio Hyphenate Media Group joined Wilmer Valderrama as stakeholders of My Cultura.