Michael Urie and Becki Newton Embrace Their Ugly Betty Roots In Rewatch Podcast Titled Still Ugly
Eighteen years ago we fell in love with Ugly Betty. Led by America Ferrera, Betty Suarez balanced her life in Queens coming from a close knit Mexican family and her career goals to be a writer in the halls of Mode Magazine. We explores the rivalry between Wilhelmina Slater and Daniel Meade, while the ensemble became an unlikely found family.
Michael Urie and Becki Newton were stand outs as the hilarious duo that is Marc St. James and Amanda Tannen. While they have been busy within the worlds of television and Broadway, they have never forgotten their Ugly Betty roots. "The two of us were so inexperienced and felt like such fish out of water on set. And the show is about a fish out of water. It was all very meta — the show and us...” said Urie in a statement. “But we were so young and fresh, and we had these incredible mentors, Vanessa [Williams] and Tony [Plana] and later Judith [Light], who knew to say to us this is special, keep your eyes open, and never take it for granted. We, as a cast, became a chosen family.”
Still close friends, Urie and Newton are now launching an Ugly Betty rewatch video podcast called Still Ugly. They will watch every episode of the series as they dissect storylines, character motivations, top looks, and emotional moments. They’ll play games inspired by the show and connect with fans to answer questions and give advice. Plus their former co-stars like Ferrera, Mabius, Plana, Christopher Gorham, and more will join them to share their favorite Ugly Betty memories!
I, for one, have been dying for any form of Ugly Betty reunion — but why is now the right time? “The world needs a little joy and the world still loves this show. The one thing people responded to about our characters was that everyone needs a friend. Someone who doesn’t judge them,” stated Newton. “Everyone needs some of that, a friend that makes them laugh all the time and makes them feel loved all the time.”
Listen to these two friends relive the glory days on Still Ugly when it premieres this February. Find the podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, with weekly video and audio episodes dropping on Wednesdays.
