Ugly Bettystar Ana Ortiz reveals her thoughts on how a revival series could work. The workplace drama series tells the story of a young woman named Betty, who embraces her appearance and strong attitude when she enters the world of New York Fashion. The series began in 2006 and ran for four seasons, wrapping up in 2010. The show was star-making forAmerica Ferrera, who won an Emmy in its first season. In addition,Ugly Betty’s cast included Eric Mabius, Judith Light, Michael Urie, and Becki Newton.
Speaking on theBehind the Velvet Ropepodcast (viaEntertainment Weekly), Ortiz shared her thoughts on a potentialUgly Bettyrevival. The actor wasenthusiastic about the potential, saying that the cast really wanted to do it. To revive the series effectively, however, she thinksthere needs to be “at least six episodes"rather than just “a two-hour thing.” However, Ortiz says that there would be some rights issues. Check out the full quote from Ortiz below:
I’m gonna live in the world of yes, because we all wanna do it so badly.
I honestly think the only way to do it is at least six episodes. I don’t think, because it’s a large cast with so many different moving parts, you couldn’t put it into a movie. It couldn’t just be a two-hour thing, because every character is so epic, right?
I mean, Wilhelmina [Vanessa Williams] and Judith Light’s character, Claire Meade and then [Michael Urie] and [Becki Newton] who play Marc and Amanda… and then the family. I think it would have to be.”
I can only say that we are so all of us, from soup to nuts, we all want to do it. I think it’s just a question now of getting the rights, because it was owned by the Colombian production company, blah, blah, blah. So, we’re working on it.
What This Means For The Potential Ugly Betty Revival
Other Cast Members Have Echoed Similar Enthusiasm
Ortiz is not the firstUgly Bettyactorto be open to a revival opportunity. In December 2023,Ferrera said that there was “a deep desire” to make another installment “for a long time"and believed that the cast would “all come back in a heartbeat.” AnUgly Bettyrevival would hinge on the return of key cast members like Ferrera and Ortiz, so the fact that they are willing to go for it is a good sign of the revival potential.
Why Ugly Betty Ended After Season 4 (Was It Canceled?)
Ugly Betty, starring America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, concluded in 2010 after four seasons and 85 episodes – why did the ABC comedy-drama series end?
However, Ortiz’s parameters complicate the idea of anUgly Bettyreturn. While a revival series might be the best option, there is also a chance that itcould be offered an in-between option, such as a movie. This was done recently with the seriesMonk, which came back after a 14-year hiatus for the TV movieMr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie. Ortiz is right thatUgly Bettyis built upon its ensemble, making a shorter-term return more difficult. This could complicate the revival, asa network may be less willing to risk a full-season return.
Our Take On An Ugly Betty Revival
Other Failed Revival Shows Might Dissuade It From Happening
Revivals of older shows have had mixed success in recent years. TheFrasierreboot was canceledafter just two seasons, as was the Paramount+iCarlyreboot after three seasons. This track record for revivals may dissuade networks from wanting to bring backUgly Betty. However, continued hopes from cast members like Ortiz have the potential to sway someone to give it a try.
Ugly Bettyis currently available to stream on Hulu and Netflix.
