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Emmys 2020: America Ferrera recalls early auditions when she was told to 'sound more Latina', makes fans cry

Despite the coronavirus-induced restrictions, Emmys 2020, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, premiered on Sunday, September 20, 2020, beginning at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT.

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, which was held on September 20, did not feature the who’s who of the TV industry and Hollywood gather to honor and celebrate some of the finest works of notable artists due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, despite the coronavirus-induced restrictions and inconvenience, the award show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, was held virtually.  

The 2020 virtual Emmys, which premiered on Sunday, September 20, 2020, beginning at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT, was broadcast on ABC. Kimmel hosted the award ceremony from the Staples Center in Los Angeles but without a live audience due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year marked Kimmel's third time hosting the Emmys. He had hosted the ceremony in 2012 and 2016. Producers of the show sent camera equipment to about 130 A-list nominees in multiple countries around the world and the winners accepted their awards live. There was no red carpet due to the ongoing pandemic and organizers encouraged celebrities to embrace comfort over couture. 

Although Kimmel hosted live from the Staple’s Center, the remainder of the Hollywood A-listers who made an appearance, including Oprah Winfrey, America Ferrera, and Gabrielle Union joined remotely from 114 locations across 10 countries. Right from some jaw-dropping performances to the heart-warming speeches by our favorite winners, the virtual Emmys had the best of all.

Among many powerful speeches, America Ferrera's speech about her early audition days stood out. Ferrera, who once starred in 'Ugly Betty', appeared in pre-recorded segments in which they opened up about their struggles to find a voice in Hollywood as women of color. She spoke about her early audition days where she was told to sound more Latina in one of the auditions and when she wasn't able to do it, she was told to leave.

Many users took to Twitter to weigh in on her speech, with many calling it "powerful" and "amazing." One user tweeted, "America Ferrera's segment was amazing! Thank you! I teared up! Shout Out to all the 'Brown Latinos'." Another one wrote, "Maybe my eyes will never dislodge from the back of my skull over the Academy refusing to nominate any Latinx actresses for the #Emmys and then carting America Ferrera out to Talk About Diversity."

Another user tweeted, "Omg America Ferrera talking about “sound more Latina” in her early auditions being a motivation for her to create more opportunity is just." One person wrote, "If it weren’t for that America Ferrera segment, there wouldn’t have been any latino representation at the Emmys The underrepresentation of Latinos in the media is insane. #Emmys."

One person, echoing similar sentiments wrote, "Highlights by @IssaRae @LenaWaithe and @AmericaFerrera telling their truth was so necessary and of value. Thank you." Another person wrote, "I’m with @AmericaFerrera - what does ‘sound Latina’ sound like? I’ve been to so many countries in central and South America, even THEY can’t figure out. Where my Spanish accent is from (half Mexican half Costa Rican with a Colombian brother in law and lived in Venezuela)."

Another person tweeted, "Yessssss @AmericaFerrera I loved that story/share! Thank you so much for bringing that to the attention of the masses! It’s the constant grind for us! Not to mention when they assume because you are of one Latin heritage. That you can/should be able to play and speak like ANY heritage."

Governors Award recipient and Hollywood trailblazer Tyler Perry also used his speech to stress on the importance of diverse voices in media, echoing stories included on the telecast from Issa Rae on her disappointing first TV pitch and Lena Waithe on the first time she felt seen on the small screen. The Emmys 2020 nominees were announced by Leslie Jones, Laverne Cox, Josh Gad, and Tatiana Maslany on July 28, 2020, through a virtual weblink on 28 July 2020.

Among the list of nominees, there were some big productions such as HBO's 'Watchmen' with 26 nominations, Amazon's 'The Marvelous Mrs Maisel' with 20 nominations, and 'Succession' and 'Ozark' with 18 nominations. It has also been duly noted that Netflix took first place with 160 nominations and HBO came in right behind with 107 nominations. It’s the second time that Netflix has taken a lead on HBO. In 2018, Netflix ended HBO’s 17-year highest Emmy nominations streak by landing 112 nominations as opposed to HBO’s 108.