It then quickly cuts to a shot of a young woman washing away soot from a heavily soiled window.
I want you to see me.Thisis what I look like.
Because only thin girls get the lead.
Credit: Getty Images
I refused to do that.
The problem isnt that Im undocumented, Mexican, working class, or overweight; the problem is society.
I worked with Norman Lear to turn it into a sitcom, and evenhecouldnt get it on TV!
Nicola Goode/HBO
I said, Yes it is!
Its about Mexican-Americans, where else are we seeing real Mexican-Americans on TV?
That shift made the story more accessible as a film.
Everett Collection
It came down to a female executive sayingwomens stories matter.
She said: Because I love my mother.
It took a woman in a position of power to find value in this story.
Nicola Goode/HBO
That was a bold thing to do for a 17-year-old with no credits to her name.
Six weeks later, they [still] wanted to see me.
The specificity of it made it feel universal.
Nicola Goode/HBO
GEORGE LOPEZ:It was like watching a rose open up.
There was a lot at stake with the movie and the part, and America had to carry that.
It was tough on a girl who was almost 18 years old.
Nicola Goode/Lavoo/Shutterstock
Casting Anas conservative mother, however, was a challenge.
But shes not right!
Shes an extremely glamorous, beautiful person, not the earthy mother we needed.
Nicola Goode/HBO
When I hired the production designer and cinematographer, I was looking for people who had that same sensibility.
It was definitely a breakthrough.
LAVOO:Its based on Josefinas experienc.
Nicola Goode/HBO
Josefina wanted to show the city as a vibrant place where women can have full lives and grow.
Not only do the actors connect with each other, they connected to the area.
That means a lot!
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I wanted the actresses to choose the underwear they liked and felt comfortable in.
Everything was done to make them look good and feel beautiful how they already are.
FERRERA:I was 17 years old, and it was only my second job.
Id never had to take my clothes off in front of a 200-person crew most of them men.
Im sure I was incredibly intimidated by that.
CARDOSO:America didnt want to take off her pants!
When we rehearsed, she was completely fine, but when we shot it, she didnt want to.
Shes one of the smartest people Ive ever met, but she was only 17.
She came to me and told me she felt the character wouldnt do that.
So, I made an excuse.
I said, Let me call Colin Callender, who was the head of HBO Films at the time.
I said, Let me see what he wants.
So, I took my phone outside, and I pretended to call Colin.
I came back and said, Colin said you have to do it.
And she said, Ok, well do it.
I didnt know what we were going to do.
I couldnt imagine the movie without that scene.
Hopefully theyre happy it happened that way.[Laughs].
CARDOSO:America was mad at me the whole day!
Can we kindly shoot the scene again?
I said, No, you did it perfectly!
FERRERA:Its a story about relationships, people, and human beings.
I cant imagine that it doesnt still resonate on a personal, human level.
GEORGE LOPEZ:I dont think you have to be Latino to have dreams.
Every kid says something like, My dream is to be a teacher!
Well, that should be agoal, not a dream.
A dream is maybe you want to fly around the earth three times or stand on the sun.
Thats a dream… my grandparents didnt encourage me to be anything other than a carpenter or shipping-and-receiving clerk.
Its significant to everyone; its not even racial.Everyonehas a dream.
Its what all the great movies are about.
I realized I could do what I loveandtell stories that had the power to make people feel seen.
The next big movie I did wasSisterhood of the Traveling Pants, thenUgly Betty.
Obviously the similarity [between the parts is there in terms of] questioning what we consider traditionally beautiful.
Whenanywoman is onscreen, that theme feels present to me.
