How to Remember Who's Who on “Ugly Betty”

“Ugly Betty” is a popular ensemble dramatic comedy, but it has a large cast and several on-going plot lines. A guide to the characters is helpful to following what's going on. WARNING: Some spoilers are included.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Betty Suarez—The well-meaning, hard-working but not especially attractive assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of MODE magazine. Betty divides her time between the high-pressure, glamorous and often cruel world of fashion publishing and her tacky yet loving family.
2. Ignacio Suarez—Betty's father, a widower and illegal alien, kind and understanding, but with a skeleton in his closet.
3. Hilda Suarez—Betty's sister, a loudmouthed, somewhat promiscuous hair dresser.
4. Justin Suarez—Pre-adolescent son of Hilda. Effeminate, with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of fashion, celebrity gossip and musical theater. He did an internship at MODE, where he caught the eye of Wilhelmina Slater. He also starred as “Tony” in his school's production of “West Side Story.”
5. Santos—Former boyfriend of Hilda and usually absent father to Justin. Initially he was ashamed of Justin, but he eventually grew to respect him. Towards the end of the show's first season he and Hilda planned to marry, but he was murdered while trying to protect a bodega owner during a hold-up.
6. Fey Summers—The iconic Anna Wintour-like former Editor-in-Chief of MODE. Discerning the identity of her murderer was a major plot concern in the show's first season.
7. Daniel Meade—Current Editor-in-Chief of MODE and Betty's boss. Daniel is kind-hearted but largely weak, with a serious sex addiction. He's felt inferior all his life to his older brother, Alex, and intimidated by his father, Bradford..
8. Bradford Meade—Head of Meade Publications, he was accused of murdering Fey Summers, with whom he was having an affair. He later became involved with Wilhelmina Slater. Their wedding in the show's second season was to be the social event of the year, but he was felled with a heart attack at the altar and died shortly thereafter.
9. Claire Meade—Ex-wife of Bradford Meade, owner of MODE. She confessed to the murder of Fey Summers but managed to escape from prison for a time.
10. Alexis Meade--Born Alexander Meade, he was thought to be dead but had in fact only gone into hiding so he could get a sex-change operation. Now Alexis takes an active role in the power plays at MODE.
11. Wilhelmina Slater—Creative Director of MODE, former model, former assistant to Fey Summers. Wilhelmina lured Bradford into an affair as part of her on-going plan to take over the magazine.
12. Marc St. James—Wilhelmina's scheming, catty yet loyal gay assistant. Normally cruel to Betty, Marc occasionally slips and lets his good side show.
13. Amanda Tanen-- The receptionist at MODE and close friends with Marc, Amanda is superficial and a bit dim-witted. She is also the secret daughter of Fey Summers.
14. Christina McKinney—The Scottish Head Seamstress in the wardrobe department at MODE, she is one of Betty's confidantes and a source of MODE insider gossip and information.
15. Henry Grubstick—Sheepish accountant for Mead Publications and the chief object of Betty's affections. Their relationship got complicated when his promiscuous ex-girlfriend announced she was pregnant with his child and insisted he move with her to Tucson.

Tips & Warnings

• “Ugly Betty” was based on a “tele-novela”--a Spanish-language soap opera, made in Columbia. The original show has spawned “Ugly Betty” imitation shows all over the world. True to its tele-novela origins, the American show is full of complicated plot threads, as well as an even-handed mix of high drama and broad comedy.