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America Ferrera and husband Ryan Piers Williams have been together for close to 20 years and share two children. They met when the actress’s career was just beginning and as Williams cast his first film. Since then, they’ve grown together in the entertainment industry, and he even made a brief appearance in her recent hit movie, Barbie.
Here’s everything to know about Ferrera’s husband Ryan Piers Williams and their long love story.
Who is Ryan Piers Williams?
Williams has many talents, but he is primarily known as a director. He wrote and directed The Dry Land and X/Y, plus a short film titled Muertas. His wife appeared in all three. He appeared in the latter two as well, and acted in Blues, Tomorrow Comes Today, and 1985.
And yes, he was in Barbie, playing Ferrera’s unnamed husband who is diligently working on his Spanish with Duolingo. In the last scene in the Margot Robbie-led film, Williams says, “Si se puede,” (roughly translated to “yes, we can” in English), which references a line in the Disney Channel original movie Gotta Kick It Up! starring Ferrera. It’s also the slogan created by activist Dolores Huerta for the United Farm Workers of America that’s popular with other labor unions.
Williams is also a visual artist, according to his website. He writes there that he “uses his artwork to examine both the serene and caustic sides of human nature.” His first solo show was titled “Monsters & Landscapes,” and was shown in NYC in 2015. He then had a second show that same year held in Los Angeles.
Ferrera and her husband are both passionate about politics, and in 2016, they combined forces with Wilmer Valderrama to found a nonprofit organization titled Harness. The organization helps direct artists, influencers, and organizers together for political power.
“Nothing changes in just one election,” Ferrera told Vogue in 2019. “We won some important races, but there’s a deeper issue here, which amounts to a crisis of civics in this country: how politicians on both sides are all too ready to have people not be engaged until it serves them.”
How did Williams and Ferrera meet?
In 2005, Ferrera was cast by Williams in his first film post-grad school. At the time, she was attending the University of Southern California as an undergraduate. The movie, Muertas, is about the murders of women in Juarez, Mexico.
That year, Williams told El Paso Inc., “First and foremost, I want to bring awareness to the issue. I’m trying to put a face to one of the girls who’s been murdered, to give people a better idea of what’s going on in Juarez. You can’t predict how people are going to respond, you can only hope that you’re going to inspire somebody to want to learn more about the issue.”
How long have Williams and Ferrera been together?
After meeting in 2005, they dated for about five years before getting engaged. They were married on June 27, 2011, in Chappaqua, New York. The wedding was hosted at Vanessa Williams’ home there. She starred in the hit TV show Ugly Betty with Ferrera. The bride wore a dress by Amsale’s Christos label, and the ceremony was officiated by Judith Light.
The event was attended by Mark Indelicato, Rebecca Romijn, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn.
Do they have any kids?
Ferrera and Williams welcomed their first son Sebastian in May 2018. They don’t post many photos of their children, but they did announce his birth with an Instagram shot of some baby toes on Instagram.
“When 2 becomes 3 … Welcome Sebastian Piers Williams–aka Baz! Mom, Dad and Baby are happy, healthy and totally in love!” Ferrera wrote in the caption.
On Mother’s Day in 2020, they announced the birth of their second child, a daughter named Lucia Marisol.
Do Ferrera and Piers Williams purposely keep their relationship private?
Yes. A source told Us Weekly in August 2023 that their appearance on the Barbie red carpet was a rare event for them. “Usually, they stay out of the spotlight,” the source said. “They love what they do, but they do prefer to keep their private life separate. Their family is their priority.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.