You remember the blue eyeshadow. You definitely remember the door-knocker earrings and that fierce, "don't mess with my family" Queens attitude. For four years, Ugly Betty actress Ana Ortiz didn't just play Hilda Suarez; she owned her. She was the fiery, leopard-print-wearing heartbeat of the Suarez household, providing the perfect grounded-yet-chaotic foil to America Ferrera’s optimistic Betty.
But honestly, where has she been since the Mode magazine lights went out?
If you think she just vanished after the series finale in 2010, you haven't been paying attention. Ana Ortiz has quietly become one of the most reliable, hardworking staples of modern television. She didn’t just survive the "post-sitcom slump"—she thrived. From leading her own soapy dramas to voicing Disney royalty, her career is a masterclass in staying relevant in an industry that usually discards actresses the second they hit forty.
The Hilda Suarez Legacy: More Than Just a "Sassy Sister"
Let’s be real for a second. In the mid-2000s, Latinx representation on TV was pretty thin. You usually got the maid or the criminal. Then came Hilda. Ugly Betty actress Ana Ortiz took a character that could have been a walking stereotype and gave her a soul.
Hilda was a teen mom. She was a struggling beautician. She was a woman who processed her grief through hallucinations—remember that gut-wrenching Season 2 arc where she imagined her late fiancé Santos was still alive? That wasn't just "good for a sitcom" acting. That was powerhouse stuff.
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She won an ALMA Award for it in 2007, and for good reason. She made us care about the "cool sister" who was actually just as terrified and insecure as the "ugly" one.
Life After Mode: From Devious Maids to Love, Victor
What do you do after you've been on a global hit? If you're Ortiz, you go work with Marc Cherry.
In 2013, she landed the lead in Devious Maids. Playing Marisol Suarez (yes, another Suarez, though no relation), she proved she could carry a show as the central protagonist. It ran for four seasons on Lifetime. It was campy, it was dramatic, and it kept her in the spotlight.
Fast forward to 2020. A whole new generation met her as Isabel Salazar on Hulu’s Love, Victor. This role was a huge departure. As the mother of a gay teenager struggling to reconcile her deep religious faith with her love for her son, Ortiz brought a nuanced, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately human perspective to the screen.
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It wasn't just "Hilda 2.0." It was a more mature, complex version of motherhood that reflected the real struggles many families face.
A Quick Look at Her Recent Hits
- Whiskey Cavalier (2019): She played Susan Sampson, a top-tier FBI profiler. No blue eyeshadow here—just high-stakes action.
- Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018): She lent her voice to the "Ballet Mom," a nice nod to her real-life history as a trained ballerina.
- Goosebumps: The Vanishing (2025): Most recently, she’s been keeping things spooky as Jen in the latest iteration of the Disney+ anthology series.
What Most People Get Wrong About Ana Ortiz
People think she just "fell into" acting. Nope.
She’s a New Yorker through and through, the daughter of Philadelphia City Councilman Angel Ortiz. Before she was ever on a TV set, she was a ballerina. She studied for eight years until the physical toll of dancing en pointe basically forced her to find a new dream.
That "new dream" led her to the University of the Arts in Philly and eventually the LAByrinth Theater Company. She was doing gritty Off-Broadway plays directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman long before she was selling "Herbalux" door-to-door on ABC.
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Why She’s Still Making Headlines in 2026
At 55, Ana Ortiz is still booked and busy.
She’s recently been involved in projects like Godless (the 2024 film, not the miniseries) and is a frequent face on the guest speaker circuit. She’s also a massive advocate. Following her own experiences, she’s become a loud voice for raising awareness about domestic abuse and works closely with the Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet.
She isn't just an actress who happened to be on a show you liked 15 years ago. She’s a survivor, an advocate, and a veteran of the craft.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you're looking to follow in the footsteps of Ugly Betty actress Ana Ortiz, or just want to keep up with her latest work, here’s the move:
- Watch "Love, Victor": If you only know her as Hilda, her performance as Isabel will give you a whole new level of respect for her range.
- Follow the LAByrinth Theater Connection: If you’re an actor, look into the companies she came from. Her "overnight success" took nearly a decade of theater work.
- Check Out "Goosebumps" on Disney+: It’s her most recent major TV role and shows she’s still got that magnetic screen presence.
- Support her Causes: Ortiz is big on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the Animal Rescue Foundation. Supporting these is a great way to connect with the work she does off-camera.
The career of Ana Ortiz is proof that you don't need to be the "lead" in every project to leave a permanent mark on pop culture. Sometimes, being the sister with the big earrings and the even bigger heart is exactly what the world needs.