Former Lizzie McGuire Star Lalaine Vergara-Paras Says She Was Made ‘To Look As White As Possible’

Former Lizzie McGuire actress Lalaine Vergara-Paras recently spoke out about growing up in Hollywood as a person of color, reports People.

Vergara-Paras expounded on her past experiences in an Instagram post on Wednesday that displayed a colorful photo of the star holding balloons.

“These days I struggle to find photos where I look as ethnic as possible. Or like in this photo the most East Asian I’ve ever looked.”

“In order to see, for most people, you have to zoom in on ma face. And in case you still don’t understand, I love my face in this photo.”

Vergara-Paras is the fourth child born to Filipino parents. Her mother, Lilia Vergara Paras, grew up in Batangas, while her father is from Pampanga. Vergara-Paras herself lived in the Philippines from 1990 until 1995, according to IMDB.

The actress’ followers praised her for being honest, with one fan recounting experiences of being continuously denied roles because of their mixed ancestry.

In a past interview, Vergara-Paras expressed pride in her heritage and said she was “proud of my ethnicities and I will always be proud of being a Filipino.”

She is known for portraying Miranda Sanchez on the hit series alongside star Hilary Duff.

Vergara-Paras was the best friend of the show’s titular character, portrayed by Duff. It was stated in several episodes that Sanchez and her family were Mexican.

She spoke with The Huffington Post about her time on the Disney program and stated that she was lucky to be a part of something that touched so many kids and teens who grew up along with them.

Lizzie McGuire, which debuted in 2001 and lasted for two seasons, has also been subject to the reboot rumor mill.

Duff was asked about the possibility of a revival in December and gave a cryptic reply.

“There’s been some conversations.”

She quickly added, “It’s definitely not a go,” saying she did not want wild speculation to develop.

However, that didn’t stop Duff from theorizing about the fate of her character. She said that Lizzie wasn’t yet a mom, but would be “getting there soon.”

It wasn’t that long ago that the Younger actress became a mother herself, giving birth to baby girl Banks Violet Bair on October 25, according to People.

She also has a son, 6-year-old Luca Cruz, from a relationship with ex-husband Mike Comrie.

People also reported about Duff’s recent starring role in The Haunting of Sharon Tate where she portrays the late star. The movie comes to theaters and On Demand April 5.

Lizzie McGuire Star Lalaine Vergara-Paras Says She Was 'Forced to Look as White as Possible' https://t.co/ylnwhM7RLp

— People (@people) April 11, 2019