Slip into your red Guadalajara ponchos, because all four seasons of Ugly Betty are coming to Netflix on Aug. 1.
The one-hour dramedy, which premiered on ABC in 2006, made America Ferrera a household name and immersed her titular character in the New York fashion and publishing scenes. Executive produced by Salma Hayek and developed by Silvio Horta, the story follows a young Mexican American woman who lands a position at a high fashion magazine. During its run, Ugly Betty touched on issues around beauty standards, immigration, LGBTQ+ identity, and class disparity. Winning several Emmys, Golden Globes, and GLAAD Awards, the series garnered a cult following after ending its run in 2010.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the series, here’s everything you need to know about Ugly Betty before you hit play.
Following the death of Mode magazine editor-in-chief Fey Sommers, publishing mogul Bradford Meade (Alan Dale) pulls out the nepo baby card and instills his inexperienced son Daniel (Eric Mabius) in the highly coveted position. Daniel could care less about fashion and only thinks about sleeping with his assistants. In order to put a stop to his son’s womanizing ways, Bradford hires Betty (America Ferrera), a 22-year-old from Queens, New York, to work under Daniel. Unlike the assistants who came before her, Betty’s sense of style turns heads for all the wrong reasons — and her adult braces are a sight to behold. Although she might be a bit naive at times, Betty must learn to quickly adapt to the cutthroat world of fashion.
Along the way, Betty encounters Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams), the scheming Mode creative director who’ll do anything to take over Daniel’s position. Her sidekicks, Marc (Michael Urie) and Amanda (Becki Newton), have eyes and ears all over the office for the latest gossip, but Betty is never fazed by their mischievous ways. Despite Betty constantly being told she doesn’t fit in, her dad Ignacio (Tony Plana), older sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz), and nephew Justin (Mark Indelicato) are all rooting for her success.
The series stars Ferrera, Mabius, Williams, Dale, Urie, Newton, Plana, Ortiz, Indelicato, Ashley Jensen, Judith Light, and Rebecca Romijn. During its run, Ugly Betty also welcomed an array of guest stars including Lindsay Lohan, Victoria Beckham, Lucy Liu, Patti LuPone, Leslie Jordan, Martha Stewart, Betty White, Naomi Campbell, and many more.
Ugly Betty is based on the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la Fea, which premiered in 1999. As one of the most famous Latin American telenovelas in history, Yo soy Betty, la Fea has been adapted by nearly 20 different countries — including a Saturday morning cartoon.
Ugly Betty Seasons 1–4 will be available to stream on Netflix starting Aug. 1.
