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She’s funny, gorgeous, genuine, smart and way cool. The New Yorker has found her groove in Los Angeles and a role in the surprise smash hit television series, “Ugly Betty”. She may play feisty on the small screen, but this talented actress has us wishing she was our big sister.

And why not? As real life big sis to her 16 year old sibling, “I’m definitely the overprotective big sister,” says Ana. “So to play Hilda, it translates.” It literally translates. The hugely popular telenova aired its English counterpart on ABC this past fall to critical praise, drawing a huge audience despite all the pre-show judgments. In fact, “Ugly Betty” was watched by such a wide audience it managed to crack Nielsen’s Top Ten in its first week out. Something that is unheard of for a new show. Asked if there was initial concern about the English-language version, Ana admits there was, but once the script was read, the concerned lessened. “I was like, this is us, this is my family, this is something I get. We are really kind of looking forward to just seeing where it was going to go and how were people going to respond to it,” she recalls. “I felt like people were ready for something like this. I couldn’t imagine it being this wonderful.”

The Puerto Rican / Irish beauty got her start as a performer by taking ballet lessons as a young girl for 8 years, moving over to singing when her feet began to bleed from being on pointes. She attended the La Guardia High School for Performing Arts, as a voice major, which crossed over into acting, and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arts, in Philadelphia. While in Philly, Ana took to the stage doing theater work, something that allowed her to really sink her teeth into her characters. “For me, I’ve had a lot more diversity in roles when I’m doing theater. I played everything, every ethnicity, every age. It’s a lot freer in that sense. When I’m doing television, it’s always something along the same lines of the spitfire or Maria, the maid,” she laughs. I mean Maria … again …that’s it? It’s not to say that you can’t actually have a role as a maid who’s fabulous. I did a pilot for HBO that didn’t go anywhere but I played a maid. That role was really great.”

With numerous guest-starring television appearances, playing Hilda on “Ugly Betty” has finally given Ana the opportunity to study and grow with her television persona. “To live with Hilda this long and actually get to see where this character is going is a dream. It’s the first time that I’ve been on television and really been able to get into character because I have a lot of time with her.” And what’s it like working with mega-star and producer Salma Hayek? “She strikes an intimidating figure. When she walks into a room it’s like everything just stops. She’s so normal, so down to earth, so kind, funny and accessible. By the end of the day it’s just like ‘Hey, girl!’” she laughs.

As evident with television series such as “Ugly Betty”, “Lost”, “Heroes” and the numerous other shows featuring Latin actors in prominent roles, we are finally beginning to see more Latinos on mainstream television and film, something Ana is excited to be a part of. “It’s really wonderful to see Eva Mendes and all these Latin women up there just sort of playing anything, like a reporter. It’s not like she’s playing a Latin reporter. She’s playing a reporter and she just happens to be Latin. I look forward to getting to do all kinds of good stuff.”

Right now the good stuff is that “Ugly Betty” has been picked up for a second season, Ana is getting ready to plan her wedding (sometime in late May or early June), and hoping to land her dream role in a piece period. “A ‘Shakespeare In Love’ type of thing, because as a Latina they never ever think of you for those parts. In theater you can play Queen Elizabeth, even if you’re a Puerto Rican girl from Washington Heights.”