America Ferrera Joins The Incredible Women Podcast Season 10: Supernovas
We’re thrilled to present the latest season of NET-A-PORTER’s Incredible Women podcast. This series, Supernovas, celebrates an extraordinary lineup of women who shine brightly and draw greatness into their orbits
Episode 5: America Ferrera
America Ferrera has built a remarkable career defined by both iconic roles and powerful advocacy. She first broke through in 2002 with comedy-drama film Real Women Have Curves, but it was her unforgettable turn as Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty that made her a household name. For her portrayal of the endearing fashion-magazine assistant, Ferrera won a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy – becoming the first Latina woman to win in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Another standout performance was that of Gloria in the 2023 global hit Barbie – a role that director Greta Gerwig wrote with Ferrera specifically in mind. In a film filled with viral-worthy moments, it was Ferrera’s moving monologue – addressing the impossible contradictions women face – that became one of the year’s most talked-about and quoted cultural highlights. Ferrera’s influence has also extended well beyond the screen. In 2024, she was appointed a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the UN’s International Organization for Migration, championing safe migration, women’s rights and civic engagement.
In this episode, she joins Alice Casely-Hayford to discuss her new survival drama The Lost Bus, and to reflect on the power of storytelling, social justice and the importance of being truly seen – on screen and in life.
Highlights from America Ferrera’s episode…
“I don’t think anyone can ever really correctly predict the kind of impact that Barbie had as a whole. And, you know, it was really also beautiful to see how that monologue resonated with men; how it resonated with young boys; how it really spoke to so many people on so many levels.”
“I feel like we all have that capacity in whatever realm [we] work and live our lives to use our talents and whatever sphere of influence – whether that’s your family, your community, your neighbors – to make things better for ourselves and for other people. And I also believe so deeply in the role that art and storytelling play in that.”
“I really saw that my job as the actor was to be the advocate to the character and make sure that they’re displayed with as much fullness and humanity and contradiction as anyone else on screen.”
“It doesn’t take a lot to impact a young person and make them feel seen. And I did feel seen by a lot of my teachers, and they made me feel like I had something to offer. They helped me believe in myself and so I give a lot of credit to the teachers I had.”
To listen to the Incredible Women podcast, subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many more*.
Episode 4: Gillian Anderson
This week’s guest needs little introduction: Gillian Anderson has been captivating audiences for more than three decades, with her fearless approach to her craft earning her Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG awards.
Her career kick-started as one half of the legendary FBI duo Mulder and Scully in the ’90s phenomenon The X-Files, and she went on to make history as the first woman to write and direct an episode of the cult series. Since then, she has continually redefined what it means to be a leading woman on screen. From the steely brilliance of detective Stella Gibson in The Fall, to the warmth and humanity of Jean Milburn in Sex Education, and her acclaimed, chilling turn as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, she brings depth and complexity to every role she inhabits.
In the year ahead, Anderson shows no signs of slowing down, with major upcoming projects including Tron: Ares, Trespasses and The Abandons. Off-screen, her bestselling book Want – an exploration of female desire – has cemented her status as an author, with a much-anticipated sequel now in the works.
Listen in as she talks to NET-A-PORTER’s content director Alice Casely-Hayford about her most exhilarating roles, female empowerment, and why her next book is set to be even bolder than the first.
Highlights from Gillian Anderson’s episode…
“Right at the apex of Me Too and Time’s Up, I feel like there was some real structural and progressive change that was being made both in front of and behind the camera. [But] things reversed, and conversations reversed, and so we need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and be louder and more vocal and proactive than perhaps ever before, in order to move the conversation forward.”
“I think so much of the current younger generations don’t necessarily have an understanding of the work that has gone before, or where things stood not that long ago… And unless one knows what the potential destination is or from where we came, it might be harder to see when we’re heading back in that direction.”
“I think the women writing in [contributions to her book, Want] were surprised when they came face to face with asking themselves what their fantasy would be – and contemplated whether or not they would or could share with their partner.”
To listen to the Incredible Women podcast, subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many more*.
Episode 3: Ruth Rogers
Few restaurants achieve the level of fame and devotion that London’s River Café enjoys. At its heart is Ruth Rogers, the acclaimed chef who has shaped it into far more than a Michelin-starred destination. Yes, the food is exquisite, but it’s Rogers herself who keeps the restaurant so beloved. She has a rare gift with people – a quality that shines through in her podcast, Ruthie’s Table 4, where she welcomes longtime River Café guests, from actors and musicians to politicians and writers, for conversations about food, memory and life.
Born in upstate New York in 1948, Rogers later lived in France and Italy before settling in London. Inspired by her love of Italian food, she opened the River Café in 1987 with chef Rose Gray. Originally a canteen for her husband Richard Rogers’ architecture practice, it quickly became celebrated for its seasonal, ingredient-led menus, bestselling cookbooks, and for training some of Britain’s most successful chefs.
In this episode, she joins Alice Casely-Hayford to reflect on food memories, the lessons grief has taught her, and the importance of community.
Highlights from Ruth Rogers’ episode…
“I was really amazed by the support and kindness of other restaurateurs. You know, people always like to say how competitive restaurants are, but I found it a community of great support and love.”
“We started with the values of what we wanted a restaurant to be. We wanted to be, of course, a place where [people] left happier than they came. And we wanted it to be a place where people who worked there wanted to come to work… where you could feel that you were being taught, and encouraged by hope rather than by fear.”
“There are so many people I’ve interviewed who did not grow up entitled [and] food has been almost a measure of their success. So they’ve worked very hard and then they remember the day they could order a great bottle of wine, or when they went to a restaurant and they didn’t have to worry too much about the prices. Or they could cook for their children in a different way than they’d been cooked for.”
To listen to the Incredible Women podcast, subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many more*.
Episode 2: Rebecca F. Kuang
The second guest in our Supernovas series is a true literary star: Rebecca F. Kuang. At just 29, she has already become one of the most exciting voices of her generation, with six critically acclaimed novels – including the global phenomenon Yellowface – and several prestigious awards to her name. Yet what makes Kuang all the more remarkable is that this dazzling body of work has been produced while pursuing an equally demanding academic career.
A scholar as much as a storyteller, Kuang studied at Georgetown University in Washington before completing further studies at both Oxford and Cambridge. She is now undertaking a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale University – a discipline that deeply informs her novels, celebrated for their historical richness, imaginative flair and razor-sharp humor. For Kuang, the act of studying and learning is inseparable from the act of writing.
Despite her extraordinary trajectory, Kuang insists she is only just beginning: “I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I might be capable of,” she reveals. “But this means reading a lot more and thinking a lot more, and frankly, just going through more life milestones.”
Tune in to this episode as Kuang discusses her latest novel Katabasis, the importance of rigorous feedback, and the discipline that allows her to be so remarkably productive.
Highlights from Rebecca F. Kuang’s episode…
“I read voraciously. I think if there’s anything I’m afraid of, it’s running out of time to consume all the ideas that are so appealing to me. This is why I love being in academia, because I never run out of ideas.”
“Something that I think has really, really helped is digital minimalism… About two years ago, I purged my phone – all social media apps. I feel like I have my brain back and I have my attention span back… I’m just able to concentrate on things and linger with things for longer.”
“I’m just not that interested in how people talk about me on the internet, and I’m not interested in being famous. I think being too interested in your own fame can be devastating to any kind of creative, but especially [to] a writer, because a writer’s job is to write about others with empathy and curiosity.”
“I feel really lucky to have a professional team who are invested in pushing me with every book, instead of just kind of signing off on manuscripts as if I can do no wrong. Actually, the edits get harsher and harsher with each book, which feels great because it’s nice to know they set the bar so high for me.”
To listen to the Incredible Women podcast, subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many more*.
Episode 1: Recho Omondi
Season 10 opens with a force from the podcasting world: Recho Omondi. Her critically acclaimed show, The Cutting Room Floor, pulls back the curtain on the often opaque fashion industry, welcoming a diverse roster of insiders for sharp, candid conversations.
Fashion wasn’t always Omondi’s plan. Her first love was in performance, music and dance, which awakened an obsession with costumes and, ultimately, with clothes. Even so, she started out on a pre-med track before pivoting to pursue her true calling. After graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design, she landed in New York, cutting her teeth at Barneys and later working behind the scenes in design and patternmaking for industry giants including Calvin Klein. In 2013, she launched her own label, Omondi, drawing on her Kenyan heritage and New York life. Although the brand is now shuttered, she described it as “a personal diary told through clothes”.
That instinct to challenge the status quo carried through to 2018, when she founded The Cutting Room Floor with the tagline “fashion’s only fashion show”. What began as a side project soon gained traction after a few viral episodes, transforming into a full-time career. Today, the podcast is a go-to space for unfiltered conversations with the people shaping the industry – and her impact hasn’t gone unnoticed: in 2023, The Business of Fashion named her in the BoF 500, its definitive list of those influencing the future of fashion.
In this opening episode, Omondi sits down with NET-A-PORTER’s content director, Alice Casely-Hayford, to discuss risk-taking, telling the stories she wants to see, and building a platform on her own terms.
Highlights from Recho Omondi’s episode…
“I’m a big failer. I like to just fail and just try things on my own. So I got started failing and I think what I realized is that it was so hard to build a brand, or at least to the scale that I had aspired to. And I think the podcast really was grown out of frustration because I felt like even though I had all of these relationships in the business, none of them really understood the plight of a designer.”
“I never approach any interview trying to have a clickbait viral moment. I mean, there are times where somebody’s saying something and I’m like, ‘Hmm, that’s gonna be something’. But you know, I’ve never coerced them into saying it… I think it’s more that I’m trying to get to some kind of real answer or concrete truth.”
“I’m very excited to see a lot of content creators being recognized for the celebrities that they are, you know, because they’re so deeply influential – and they may not be celebrities in the sense that they’re not getting magazine covers and they’re not sitting down on late-night television, or any network television for that matter, but the phone is their network television.”
To listen to the Incredible Women podcast, subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many more*.
NET-A-PORTER will donate one British Pound for every first listen to this episode in its week of release** to UN Women UK, an organization working for the empowerment and rights of women and girls globally, helping them realize their full potential.
Presenting Supernovas
For the past five years, the Incredible Women podcast has offered an intimate look into the lives of trailblazing figures shaping our world. From boardrooms to red carpets, studios to stages, we’ve uncovered what it truly means to be ‘incredible’ – exploring the fashion choices that gave women confidence at defining moments, the pivotal decisions that changed their paths, and the vulnerability that makes them relatable. This new series goes even further, spotlighting not only what these women have achieved, but how they’ve redefined what’s possible.
Hosted by NET-A-PORTER’s content director Alice Casely-Hayford, each conversation promises an inspiring and eye-opening insight into the lives and legacies of these remarkable women.
*By accessing Apple Podcasts or Spotify via this link, you agree that you are responsible for complying with Apple Podcasts’ and Spotify’s terms and conditions of use and that we shall have no liability for any breach of such terms and conditions by you.
**THE NET-A-PORTER GROUP LIMITED, trading as NET-A-PORTER, will make a donation equal to one (1) GBP (£1) for each first-time listen to the first episode of this podcast series made between 05:00 BST on September 9, 2025, and 05:00 BST on September 16, 2025, to UN Women National Committee UK, whose address is 63/66 Hatton Garden, Fifth Floor, Suite 23, London EC1N 8LE, a charity registered in England and Wales under charity number: 1162741. The Donation will be subject to a maximum amount equal to seventeen thousand pounds sterling (£17,000). If the number of listens is 12,000 or less, THE NET-A-PORTER GROUP LIMITED will give a minimum Donation of twelve thousand pounds sterling (£12,000).