America Ferrera is tired of trying to become someone she’s not.
In the Fall/Winter 2012 issue of Cosmopolitan for Latinas, the Emmy Award winner opens up about the pressure to look like her peers in Hollywood. “More often than not, I hate photos shoots and I hate being on the red carpet,” says Ferrera, married to actor/director Ryan Piers Williams, 31, since June 2011. “I don’t think I’m very well equipped for the scrutiny or the pressure to be perfect, and I don’t think anyone really is.”
With low self-esteem, Ferrera admits it’s hard to accept compliments.
“People are saying ‘We love you and love what you do,’ and you’re sitting there thinking, ‘I’m not skinny enough or pretty enough,'” the 28-year-old End of Watch actress says. “It’s taken a lot of work to get over that.”
Ferrera — who hit it big when she played the titular role in ABC’s Ugly Betty in 2006 — is happier than ever with her curves. The star says she hopes to inspire young women to focus more on their accomplishments and less on their appearances.
“How much time have I wasted on diets and what I look like? Take your time and your talent and figure out what you have to contribute to this world,” Ferrera says, “and get over what the hell your butt looks like in those jeans!”
