The third Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie isn't exactly in the fast lane, but that doesn't mean it won't happen...eventually.
"It's an idea and a conversation," America Ferrera told me at the Human Rights Campaign gala, where the LGBT rights lobbying group honored her with the Ally For Equality Award. "I think it would be amazing. The sisterhood is still well and alive. I love my girls. We're very much a part of each other's lives and if the movie happens it would be a great thing."
It certainly would. It's been more than two years since Ferrera said during an appearance on the Meredith Vieira Show that a script for a third installment was "being written."
"I was 20 when I met them. I am 30 now and they are still three of my best friends and supporters," she shared. "What's wonderful about these girls in my life is, people expect girls and women to be competitive, and we made a decision to love and support each other off-screen and onscreen."
And she joked with me, "We would love to get paid to hang out with each other. That would wonderful."
Ferrera co-starred in the two Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants flicks with Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel. The first was released in 2005 followed by the sequel in 2008.
During her acceptance speech, Ferrera urged Hollywood and beyond to embrace diversity.
"We know that representation matters. We know this, not just in the media, but in our schools, in our hospitals, in our boardrooms, in our halls of power," she said. "We know that it makes all the difference to see ourselves reflected by culture with dignity, with humor and with compassion. It is how most of us learn what is possible for us, what our place in the world is and too often we have to spend many years unlearning what culture has taught us who we are or who we ought to be. It doesn't have to be that way. We can change that."
She added, "I didn't grow up seeing a lot of examples of short brown chubby poor daughters of immigrant parents grow up to be successful actors and loud activists and I had to use my imagination most of the time. But I was extremely fortunate to come across friends, mentors, teachers who encouraged me to use my talent and my voice."
Shannon Woodward, who was on stage next to present an award to Katy Perry, summed up what many people were thinking when she said, "I can't wait for the day to cast my vote for America Ferrera."
#Ferrera2020, anyone?