Ugly Betty: Cast & Creators Live at the Paley Center

The cast and crew of Ugly Betty talk about the show’s characters, writing, casting, and backstage pranks. This William S. Paley Television Festival evening honors Ugly Betty, a comedy series about Betty Suarez, a young Queens woman trying to make it in the fashion industry despite her homely appearance. Barbara Dixon (director, The Paley Center for Media, Los Angeles) welcomes the audience and moderates the following panelists: executive producer/writer Silvio Horta; executive producer Jose Tamez; co-executive producer Teri Weinberg; executive producer/writer Marco Pennette; executive producer Ben Silverman; and executive producer/director James Hayman; and cast members America Ferrera (Betty Suarez), Kevin Sussman (Walter), Mark Indelicato (Justin Suarez), Christopher Gorham (Henry Grubstick), Eric Mabius (Daniel Meade), Rebecca Romijn (Alexis Meade), Alan Dale (Bradford Meade), Ashley Jensen (Christina McKinney), Becki Newton (Amanda Tanen), Michael Urie (Marc St. James), and Vanessa Williams (Wilhelmina Slater).The panelists discuss the show’s development from a Colombian telenovela to an American comedy, casting the show (including how Salma Hayek got America Ferrara to agree to participate), writing a show that mixes comedy and drama, the show’s impact on the idea of beauty, backstage pranks, and what the actors like most about their characters.