&34;You show up with everything you have to lose, and that's what makes you a hero,&34; the actress says of the true story about the devastating 2018 California

"You show up with everything you have to lose, and that's what makes you a hero," the actress says of the true story about the devastating 2018 California Camp Fire.

America Ferrera on playing a hero-in-the-making in the 'monster movie' The Lost Bus

"You show up with everything you have to lose, and that's what makes you a hero," the actress says of the true story about the devastating 2018 California Camp Fire.

By Gerrad Hall

Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at **, overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage. He is also host of *The Awardist* podcast, and has cohosted EW's live Oscars, Emmys, SAG, and Grammys red carpet shows. He has appeared on *Good Morning America*, *The Talk*, *Access Hollywood*, *Extra!*, and other talk shows, delivering the latest news on pop culture and entertainment.

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October 10, 2025 8:27 p.m. ET

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America Ferrera thought it would get easier each of the three times she has watched her new movie *The Lost Bus*. Instead, she says, "it only gets scarier."

The Paul Greengrass-directed movie is the true story of school bus driver Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey) and Ferrera's teacher Mary Ludwig, who are transporting 22 young students from one school to another the day California's Camp Fire broke out on Nov. 8, 2018. But as it quickly spread, fueled by strong winds, the bus and all of its occupants were trapped, surrounded by flames — and impending doom.

"It is a horror movie. It's a monster movie," the *Barbie* Oscar nominee says on the latest episode of **'s *The Awardist* podcast. "We're running from the monster of this fire. And what Paul did that's so brilliant and is truly when my body starts trembling at its core, is he gives the fire a point of view. The fire is the monster, and when it starts to grow and you are inside the fire, — you *are* the fire, growing with the fire — it is the most horrifying horror film you could watch."

Ferrera says she has openly expressed interest in making an action movie with Greengrass, director of tense real-life sagas *United 93*, *Green Zone*, and *Captain Phillips*, "because they are so visceral and so edge-of-your-seat. But you never lose the characters; they feel like real people you're with."

America Ferrera and Matthew McConaughey in 'The Lost Bus'.

Ferrera says it helped that she and Greengrass kept each other in check on striking a balance between Mary's role as "a good teacher and being a good soldier who's showing up for duty. None of that mattered unless you saw that there was a person in there, a person who was really scared, and had a lot at stake," she says, noting that Mary's also a mother who had no idea if her own children had made it to safety. "Heroes don't just show up without fear. Particularly, not every day heroes. You show up with everything you have to lose, and that's what makes you a hero."

America Ferrera was terrified of killing Matthew McConaughey during driving lessons for 'The Lost Bus'

Matthew McConaughey details his 'close calls' with 'major-sized flames' while filming 'The Lost Bus'

***Check out more from EW's *The Awardist*, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV, movies, and more.***

Listen to Ferrera's full interview on *The Awardist* below, where she reveals what made her most nervous about being in an action movie and why she "needed mezcal to calm down" at the end of some days, what it was like working so close to fire and getting behind the wheel of a bus, and more. She also looks back on the *Barbie* phenomenon and what it was like to be part of the marketing machine and press tour for that movie, and she reflects on her first movie role, as the lead in *Real Women Have Curves*.

Also on the podcast, EW. Sr. Writer Joey Nolfi and Sr. Editor Joyce Eng discuss the Golden Globes' short list of potential nominees in the new Best Podcast category, and we discuss what the reaction to *Marty Supreme*'s surprise world premiere at the New York Film Festival means for that movie and star Timothée Chalemet's awards chances, and more.**

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