America Ferrera Says She Wasn't 'Word Perfect' for Barbie Speech
America Ferrera may have delivered her now-iconic Barbie speech with perfect ease, but it wasn't as "word perfect" as audiences may think. While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday, Ferrera revealed that she didn't fully "memorize" the words to the speech before filming. "Instead of memorizing words, I sort of, like, memorize the ideas," the Oscar-nominee shared. That being said, the impactful speech, which details the hardships women face throughout their lives, took two days to shoot, 30 to 50 full runs, "top to bottom" to be exact. "I think that's one of those moments in movie history that people are always going to remember that speech. Are you aware of that?" Kimmel asked Ferrera. "People have said that to me, and it's hard to really comprehend," the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star admitted. She explained when asked about delivering a speech as impassioned as that one, "I don't like to memorize lines like that because then I get stuck saying them a certain way over and over again instead of, like, kind of discovering new things with every take." "So instead of memorizing words, I sort of, like, memorize the ideas," Ferrera added. "Like, does that make any sense?" When asked if she could still recall the speech, Ferrera admitted that she'd be a little rusty. "No. I could say, like, some of it, but I don't know word for word," she told Kimmel. "But I could say most of it." Ferrera, who has been praised for her work in the film, stands to take home her first Academy Award after being nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category. The movie, meanwhile, which was cowritten and directed by Greta Gerwig, is nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, was notably snubbed from the noms, though Robbie stands to take home a trophy for her work as an executive producer on the film.
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
"Instead of memorizing words, I sort of, like, memorize the ideas," the Oscar-nominee shared.
America Ferrera may have delivered her now-iconic Barbie speech with perfect ease, but it wasn't as "word perfect" as audiences may think.
While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday, Ferrera revealed that she didn't fully "memorize" the words to the speech before filming.
"Instead of memorizing words, I sort of, like, memorize the ideas," the Oscar-nominee shared.
That being said, the impactful speech, which details the hardships women face throughout their lives, took two days to shoot, 30 to 50 full runs, "top to bottom" to be exact.
"I think that's one of those moments in movie history that people are always going to remember that speech. Are you aware of that?" Kimmel asked Ferrera.
"People have said that to me, and it's hard to really comprehend," the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star admitted.
She explained when asked about delivering a speech as impassioned as that one, "I don't like to memorize lines like that because then I get stuck saying them a certain way over and over again instead of, like, kind of discovering new things with every take."
"So instead of memorizing words, I sort of, like, memorize the ideas," Ferrera added. "Like, does that make any sense?"
When asked if she could still recall the speech, Ferrera admitted that she'd be a little rusty.
"No. I could say, like, some of it, but I don't know word for word," she told Kimmel. "But I could say most of it."
Ferrera, who has been praised for her work in the film, stands to take home her first Academy Award after being nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category.
The movie, meanwhile, which was cowritten and directed by Greta Gerwig, is nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture.
Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, was notably snubbed from the noms, though Robbie stands to take home a trophy for her work as an executive producer on the film.
