When Did Ugly Betty (America Ferrera) Get Her Braces Removed?

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It’s awards season, which means celebrities spend their time hopping from one designer dress to another, except for, apparently, Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera.

America Ferrera curls her hair for the 27th Annual Producers Guild AwardsAmerica Ferrera curls her hair for the 27th Annual Producers Guild Awards held on January 24, 2016, in Century City (Credit: FayesVision / Charlie Steffens / Apega / WENN)

In January 2016, the then-31-year-old American actress shared a hilarious side-by-side photo of what awards season is really like for her after she made an appearance on the red carpet of the 2016 Producers Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles.

Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera starred as Betty Suarez, a Mexican American woman known for her adult bracesUgly Betty actress America Ferrera starred as Betty Suarez, a Mexican American woman known for her adult braces (Credit: ABC)

Six years earlier, she starred in “Million Dollar Smile,” the 17th episode of the fourth season of the American comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty.

Betty Suarez has her braces removed in Million Dollar Smile, the 17th episode of the fourth season of Ugly BettyBetty Suarez has her braces removed in Million Dollar Smile, the 17th episode of the fourth season of Ugly Betty (Credit: ABC)

Originally aired on the ABC network in the United States on March 24, 2010, in the episode Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) finally has her trademark braces removed. In real life, America Ferrera never wore braces.

“I wore a retainer, but I never wore braces – people just assumed the braces were mine. But what I kept from Betty was my friends because the cast is my family, and they were all at my wedding, and we’ve all been to each other’s hospital rooms when babies were born and graduations and weddings and birthday parties and life moments,” she revealed in an interview with The Independent.

Ugly Betty after having her train-track braces removedUgly Betty after having her train-track braces removed (Credit: ABC)

Broadway theatre actress Kathy Najimy, who also starred in Hocus Pocus as Mary Sanderson, played the orthodontist who removed Betty’s braces.

For the pilot episode of Ugly Betty, America Ferrera told NPR she almost had to wear real braces. At the last minute, they found an alternative.

“I was just terrified, but I was going to do it. They’re like, this is just for the pilot. And if it gets picked up, then we’ll find another alternative. So I was literally going to get braces augmented to my teeth for the pilot. And then we walked into the office, and this genius orthodontist who saved my life said he had come up with this contraption for his son’s Halloween costume. And it worked perfectly. So thank God he saved me from having to get real braces on.”

America Ferrera's feet in strappy Stuart Weitzman sandalsAmerica Ferrera’s feet in strappy Stuart Weitzman sandals (Credit: FayesVision / Charlie Steffens / Apega / WENN)

America wore a silk polka-dotted dress by Alexia Maria, which she dressed up with jewelry from Nigaam and the trusty ol’ Stuart Weitzman “Nudist” sandals in black patent.

We think this look is on the safe side, so not much can be said about it.

America Ferrera holds a black clutch on the red carpetAmerica Ferrera holds a black clutch on the red carpet (Credit: FayesVision / Charlie Steffens / Apega / WENN)

We love that the Stuart Weitzman “Nudist” sandals have quickly become a closet staple, which is probably why we’ve come to expect more from red carpet looks.

America Ferrera wears a silk polka-dotted dress from Alexia Maria on the red carpetAmerica Ferrera wears a silk polka-dotted dress from Alexia Maria on the red carpet (Credit: FayesVision / Charlie Steffens / Apega / WENN)

America candidly uploaded a picture of herself chilling at home in sweats beside a photo of her at the Producers Guild of America Awards, stating that it’s either red carpet or sweats for her during the awards season.

Get America’s goes-with-anything Stuart Weitzman “Nudist” sandals over at Zappos and Nordstrom.

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