Ana Ortiz shares update on potential Ugly Betty return
Ana Ortiz is open to reprising her role in an Ugly Betty revival, but she has clear ideas on how it should be done.
Speaking on the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast, the actress, who played Hilda Suarez on the hit ABC series, expressed her excitement about the possibility of bringing the show back. "I'm gonna live in the world of yes, because we all wanna do it so badly," she said.
However, Ortiz believes the show needs more than just a brief return. "I honestly think the only way to do it is at least six episodes," she explained. "Because it's a large cast with so many moving parts, you couldn't put it into a movie. It couldn't just be a two-hour thing, because every character is so epic, right?"
Ortiz, who has since starred in Devious Maids, Love, Victor, and Goosebumps, emphasized that Ugly Betty remains close to her heart. She feels a short revival, like Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, wouldn’t do the series justice.
"Wilhelmina, Claire Meade, Marc, Amanda... and then the family—there's just so much to explore," Ortiz said. "I think it would have to be a proper series."
Despite the challenges of securing the rights, Ortiz remains hopeful. "All of us want to do it. I think it's just a question now of getting the rights, because it was owned by the Colombian production company," she explained.
Ugly Betty, developed by Silvio Horta, was based on the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea. While the original series ran for only three years, it produced over 350 episodes and inspired adaptations worldwide. Bringing it back would require negotiations with ABC as well as the production company behind the source material.
Ortiz isn’t the only cast member eager for a revival. In 2023, America Ferrera said she would be "thrilled" to return, adding, "Our Ugly Betty family is so close. We love each other so much... I think we'd all come back in a heartbeat."
Over the years, Ferrera, Michael Urie, and Vanessa Williams have reunited at various events, keeping the Ugly Betty spirit alive. In 2022, Ferrera shared a photo with Urie and Williams, captioned: "Betty & Marc & Wilhelmina. Some things never change."
While nothing is confirmed yet, fans can hope that Ugly Betty might soon make its long-awaited return.
