Although it's been three years since she became part of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," it's pretty safe to say that the magic hasn't faded for America Ferrera.

That's because the warm reception of the 2005 film by critics and audiences was followed by Ferrera's skyrocketing success as the star of the hit sitcom "Ugly Betty" -- a role that's earned her multiple accolades including Best Actress trophies from the Emmys and Screen Actors Guild. Coupled with the similarly rising careers of her fellow stars Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel, it allowed Ferrera and the girls to slip comfortably into another Ann Brashares book series adventure with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2."

In a recent @ The Movies interview, Ferrera said that she was jazzed to do another "Sisterhood" film because, like the characters, the actresses have formed a bond in real life.

"We had a great chemistry in the first film and really good friendship," Ferrera said. "As much as we could, we stayed in touch in the three years between the two movies. I'm particularly close with Amber because on the campaign trail together for Hilary Clinton. We all like to keep in touch because we like each other's company."

Opening in theaters Wednesday, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" picks up after Carmen (Ferrera), Tibby (Tamblyn), Bridget (Lively) and Lena (Bledel) complete their first year of college. Like the first movie, the friends all take separate paths on the road to self-discovery traveling to destinations like New York, Vermont, Turkey and Greece -- yet remain connected by the pair of worn jeans that they send back and forth to one another.

Summer Movies: Video, Slideshows, Contests, More

Ferrera, 24, said that she reveled in the character growth of Carmen, as the issues she deals with become more complex.

"At the core, Carmen is dealing with the same issues she was dealing with in the first movie, which is her issues with abandonment," Ferrera explained. "In the first movie her father is moving on without her, and this time around, it's her friends are moving on in an easier way than she is, and her mother is remarried and pregnant.

"So again, her world is moving on without her when she's quite happy with the way things are," Ferrera added. "She's upset about being abandoned by her friends and her mother, and she's stuck in her shell until she realizes that it's time to move on before she becomes an unhappy person."

But while Carmen may be dealing with issues similar to those in the first film, Ferrera said that she was excited to dive back into the role because those issues have become much more complicated as the girls get older.

"I was really interested in this notion of how friendships evolve. In the first movie, the friendships were really sweet and a lot of the conflict came from each of the girls' individual lives and stories. There wasn't a lot of conflict within the friendship," Ferrera said. "What I was excited about this time around was the focus of the friendship and how it was changing. With my character and Amber's character, Tibby, they're both so lost in their own struggles that they can't be there for each other. I liked that the friendship was getting more complicated."

Ferrera said that the one constant that remains from the first "Sisterhood" is the characters' relatability factor with the audience. It's a factor that figures its way into all of the actress' projects, simply because she seeks out work that she'd like to see as an audience member.

"I think in terms of, 'Would I have needed to see this when I was a kid?' The idea is a little bit selfish, to be frank," Ferrera said with a laugh. "But when Salma Hayek came to me with the idea 'Ugly Betty,' I thought to myself, 'God this is the kind of show I would want to watch if I was a girl sitting at home, or even now.' When it comes to 'Sisterhood' and when I read those books and was such a huge fan. Theses are stories I want to watch as movies."

Ultimately, Ferrera said, she's happy those decisions end up being ones that attract the attention of the people she's doing them for.

"I pick things that way because I'm a young woman looking for inspiration," Ferrera said. "I think that resounds with other women who feel similarly."