Ana María Orozco Colombian Actress Born 1973 in Bogotá

Early life

Ana María Orozco Aristizábal was born on 4 July 1973 in Bogotá, Colombia. Her acting career started very early. She is recorded as making her first television appearance in La envidia in 1973, the year of her birth, and her work as a child performer continued with the series Pequeños Gigantes in 1983. Since 2004 she has lived in Bogotá.

Career

One of her roles before her breakthrough was that of a secretary named Verónica Murillo in Perro Amor (1998). The part that changed her public profile came the following year, when she was cast as Beatriz Pinzón Solano, known as Betty, in the telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea (1999). Of all her titles it is the one covered by the most language editions of Wikipedia, 37 in all. Orozco returned to the character in Eco moda, the spin-off series.

The format of the original has been adapted for audiences in other countries. Its international versions include the Mexican serial La fea más bella and the American series Ugly Betty. According to The New York Times, the original became one of the most popular television shows in the world.

After the telenovela, Orozco appeared in the film El colombian dream in 2006 and in 2007 took part in the television series Amas de Casa Desesperadas. She is credited in the television drama La Huella de tus Besos, and in 2022 she appeared in the series Filthy Envy. In total, five screen titles are recorded for her between 1999 and 2022, and Yo soy Betty, la fea is the work most closely tied to her name in reference listings.

Recognition

For the role of Betty, Orozco received two awards in the early years after the show aired. In 2001 she won the prize for International Female Personality of the Year (Figura internacional femenina del año) at the New York Latin ACE Awards. In 2002 she was named Actress of the Year (Actriz del año) at the INTE Awards for the same performance. These are the only awards recorded for her.

Personal life

In April 1999 Orozco married the actor Julián Arango, and the marriage ended. From 2005 to 2012 she was married to the Argentine musician Martín Quaglia, with whom she has two daughters. As of October 2026 her Instagram account had just over one million followers.