Never content with playing a pregnant teen or the daughter of a gang-banger, actress America Ferrera has been fortunate enough to obtain meatier roles that have won her plenty of good notices in her brief career. Her obvious talent was apparent in her first feature, “Real Women Have Curves” (2001), a role she got with little onscreen experience and only after a long audition process. But director Patricia Cardoso saw in Ferrera intelligence and maturity – important qualities that earned the young actress her first leading role and helped make her a rapidly rising star.

Born on Apr. 18, 1984 and