America Ferrera Honored with SeeHer Award for Advocating Inclusive Storytelling
America Ferrera was celebrated at the Critics Choice Awards, receiving the eighth annual SeeHer Award, recognizing her dedication to gender equality and authentic portrayals in the entertainment industry. This prestigious accolade is bestowed upon women who challenge stereotypes and push creative boundaries.
Margot Robbie, Ferrera’s Barbie cast mate, introduced her, praising the actress for her impactful roles in films like Real Women Have Curves and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, as well as her groundbreaking TV role in Ugly Betty. Robbie highlighted Ferrera’s achievements, such as being the first Latina to win an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy.
Ferrera’s Gratitude: Expressing her gratitude, Ferrera emphasized the significance of the award, acknowledging the impact of her contributions to authentic representations of women and girls. Growing up as a first-generation Honduran American, she spoke of her yearning to see characters that reflected her own experiences on screen.
Reflecting on her Journey: Ferrera, with a touch of humor about her two-decade-long career, recognized the transformative efforts of writers, directors, producers, and executives who challenged biased narratives, allowing her and other Latina colleagues to portray fully dimensional characters.
The Power of Storytelling: For Ferrera, storytelling serves the profound purpose of affirming each other’s humanity. She stressed that individuals of diverse backgrounds, including Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, trans, disabled, and of any body type or gender, deserve to have their lives authentically reflected in media.
Acknowledging Collaborators: Ferrera extended gratitude to Greta Gerwig, praising her for reshaping outdated narratives and proving that telling women’s stories can achieve cinematic greatness and box office success simultaneously. She thanked the cast for supporting women’s work, emphasizing that telling female stories expands creative horizons rather than diminishing them.
America Ferrera’s acceptance of the SeeHer Award not only recognizes her individual achievements but also underscores the broader importance of inclusive storytelling. In a heartfelt speech, she champions the idea that everyone, regardless of background or identity, is worthy of being authentically portrayed on screen.
Re-reported from the article originally published in The rolling stone
