The ABC comedy-drama series “Ugly Betty” ran from 2006 to 2010 and was based on the Colombian opera “Yo Soy Betty, La Fea” by Fernando Gaitán Salom. The main character is aspiring writer Betty Suarez, who is intelligent, astute, and diligent but may have a questionably unique sense of style. Bradford Meade recruits her as his son Daniel’s new assistant after giving him control of Mode magazine, either in spite of or because of her lack of fashion.
Meade acts in this manner because she thinks Betty might be the only woman in the city that Daniel won’t bed. America Ferrera, Eric Mabius, Tony Plana, Ana Ortiz, and Becki Newton all give hilarious performances in the Silvio Horta production. Considering that the majority of the series takes place at the offices of Mode magazine and Meade publishing, many of you may be curious as to where “Ugly Betty” was shot. If so, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered!
Ugly Betty Filming Locations
California and New York, specifically Los Angeles and New York City, were used to film “Ugly Betty.” The comedy series’ season 2 filming apparently started in early 2008 and was finished in May 2008, about a month before season 3’s filming got underway in June of that same year. Principal photography for the fourth and final season most likely ended in late March 2010. Let’s get right to it and learn the exact locations where “Ugly Betty” was filmed!
Los Angeles, California
The production crew established camp in Los Angeles to film every scene for “Ugly Betty’s” first and second seasons. The series was moved to the City of Angels because it was far more financially possible, despite the fact that the show’s debut episode was filmed in New York City. In the comedy-drama series, the First Congregational Church, which is located at 540 South Commonwealth Avenue, was particularly prominently featured.
New York City, New York
The filmmaking crew moved the ‘Ugly Betty’ production to New York City after filming the show’s first two seasons there. There, they captured several indoor and exterior sequences throughout the city. For instance, the fictional offices of Mode magazine and Meade Publications in ‘Ugly Betty’ were located at the Metropolitan Life North Building at 11-25 Madison Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
The St. Regis New York at Two East 55th Street and the Woolworth Building at 233 Broadway in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood are two more locations that the production crew made the most of for filming several significant segments of the series. It’s interesting to note that the home from the premiere episode was a real one at 37-27 92nd Street in the Queens borough. The living and dining rooms of the home were transformed into a makeshift camp for the cast and crew. Additionally, Madison Avenue & East 25th Street in New York City served as the backdrop for several significant sequences for “Ugly Betty.”
The Silvercup Studios’ facilities were also used by the production crew to record a number of episodes for seasons 3 and 4 of the comedy series. The film studio, which is located at 42-22 22nd Street in Queens, New York City, has 13 different shooting locations and a lighting and grip department that is fully stocked, as well as production office suites, dressing rooms, and rooftop shooting space with views of the Manhattan skyline. With all of these features, Silvercup Studios is among the top New York City filming sites.