Who are America Ferrera’s kids? Meet the “Barbie” star’s 2 children

America Ferrera mostly keeps her children out of the public eye, but on occasion will offer glimpses into her life as a mom of two.

The “Barbie” star and her husband, actor and director Ryan Piers Williams, have a son, Sebastian Piers Williams, born in 2018, and a daughter, Lucia Marisol Williams, born in 2020.

When she was pregnant with her youngest in 2020, Ferrera, now 39, joked about her and Williams’ differing parenting styles during an appearance on “Conan.”

“I’ll listen to ‘Wheels on the Bus’ and read him, like, ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Green Fish,’ and Ryan will listen to Cardi B — like, whatever he wants to listen to — and reads him, like, ‘A Brief History of Time,’” she joked.

“Barbie” fans may recognize Williams: He plays the Duolingo-obsessed husband of Ferrera’s character, Gloria, in the 2023 film directed by Greta Gerwig.

Williams, 42, may have enjoyed a fun cameo in his wife’s recent project, but it’s unlikely their children will revel in the spotlight anytime soon, as the parents closely guard their kids’ privacy on social media, sharing only occasional photos of their little ones — and hiding their faces when they do.

Still, the couple have opened up from time to time about their experiences of parenting and the joys of being a family of four. Read on to learn more about America Ferrera’s two children.

Sebastian Piers Williams

On Dec. 31, 2017, Ferrera announced she and Williams were expecting their first child.

The couple shared an Instagram photo of themselves in goofy New Year’s glasses holding up a onesie with the message, “Más besos (por favor),” which translates to, “More kisses (please).”

“We’re welcoming one more face to kiss in 2018! Wishing you #MásBesos in the New Year!” Ferrera wrote in the caption.

Their son was born in May 2018. Ferrera announced his birth, and shared his cute nickname, in a since-deleted Instagram post.

“When 2 become 3 ... Welcome Sebastian Piers Williams — aka Baz! Mom, Dad, and Baby are happy, healthy and totally in love!” she wrote in the caption.

Ferrera opened up about her experience of new motherhood in a 2018 visit to TODAY.

“I mean, I just love; I just love it. He’s amazing,” she told Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford at the time. “And I know every mom says it, but he’s perfect, everything’s so perfect! And my husband’s having such an amazing time.

“You know, it’s just brought the world into Technicolor,” she continued. “I was so afraid that I’d have the baby and not care about anything else anymore, but in fact, having him only makes everything else matter that much more.”

In April 2020, fans got a peek at the happy household when Ferrera and Williams shared a rare family pic on Instagram.

The cute shot, which doesn’t reveal Sebastian’s face, shows the toddler holding a miniature broom while standing with his parents in front of a moving van. Williams smiles at the camera, with Ferrera, pregnant with Sebastian’s little sister, Lucia, nearby.

“Pregnant, with a two year old, and a dog that broke her toe yesterday...oh and did I forget to mention we’re moving. Somehow we’re keeping the smiles alive through this quarantined life,” Williams wrote in the caption.

Ferrera opened up on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” in October 2020 about how Sebastian reacted to the birth of his baby sister, who was born in May that year.

“We were home with him for so many weeks before she came that I think he was actually relieved that our attention was not on him,” she said. “He was like, ‘Get another focus, Mom and Dad.’ So he’s been actually great and has not taken anything out on her, which I guess is a good sign.”

In a separate interview, the “Superstore” actor opened up about a sweet tradition she shares with her son.

“He gets to go into my bathroom and we take out all my makeup and I let him do my makeup and do his own makeup,” she told People in 2021, when Sebastian was 3.

“Really, we just draw and have lots of crazy squiggles all over our faces. He did ask to cut my hair, and I said, ‘Absolutely not,’” she continued. “But it’s already fun for us to get to share it, and it’s already a form of expression.”

She added that she wants both her children to “always feel free to express themselves playfully and in a way that makes them happy.”

For her role in “Barbie,” Ferrera scored her first Oscar nomination, explaining to the Los Angeles Times in February 2024 that Sebastian was curious about why Mom was getting so much attention.

“Well, my son, who’s the older one, he’s 5, almost 6. He’s asking, ‘Why are you getting so many flowers? Why are all the flowers for you?’” Ferrera said. “Ryan, my husband, started explaining and I was like, ‘Don’t. He doesn’t need to. Something happy happened to Momma.’”

Lucia Marisol Williams

Continuing the tradition of the New Year’s Eve baby announcement, Ferrera and Williams announced they were expecting their second child on Dec. 31, 2019.

“Welcoming Baby #2 in 2020!” Ferrera captioned a since-deleted Instagram post. “Happy New Year from our wild & growing bunch.”

“So much to look forward to in 2020, but one thing in particular sticks out!” Williams wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post of his own. “Can’t wait to welcome another beautiful creature into this world. Happy New Years!”

Their baby news came just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of normal life to a standstill, and in an April 2020 Instagram post, Ferrera reflected on the challenges of being pregnant during the pandemic.

“As this baby grows inside and I attempt to breathe through the fears and unknowns of this time, I am thinking of all you other mamas bringing new life into this world right now,” she wrote, sharing a photo of herself snapped by her husband.

“And also of all the women across generations and centuries and borders who have and are currently birthing new life in the midst of so many extraordinary and daunting circumstances,” she continued. “Life is a miracle, and mamas make it possible through their strength and power. Hang in there pregnant mamas! We got this.”

Weeks later, Ferrera and Williams revealed their daughter, Lucia Marisol Williams, had arrived just in time for Mother’s Day.

“LUCIA MARISOL WILLIAMS arrived on May 4th to give me my Mother’s Day hugs and kisses herself,” Ferrera wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “Mama, Dada & Big Brother are over the moon to welcome her bright light to our family.”

“The most exquisite little creature graced us with her presence on May 4, 2020,” Williams added in his own Instagram post, which has also since been deleted.

Later that year, Ferrera opened up about the experience of welcoming a baby during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Having the baby is an isolating time anyway, so it’s nice to know I’m not missing out on any fun. But it was a little bit nerve-racking, yes, in the beginning, to not be sure what the situation was going to be like in hospitals,” she told Seth Meyers during her October 2020 appearance.

In December 2020, she shared more with People, explaining that Lucia was still getting used to meeting new people.

“Whenever there is an occasion for a new face, (Lucia) just bursts into tears,” she said of her then-6-month-old daughter. “She doesn’t know what to do with new faces, so hopefully she’s young enough that this will all start to get better before it can really start to stick with her.”

Ferrera also said that though she “could never have imagined that we would be growing the family in this circumstance,” all the time at home has “also been wonderful because it has forced us to really just spend time as a family of four and really get our rhythm of just being our little family.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com