Rita Moreno, 1931

Actress, dancer, and singer, the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar and the third person to win all the four major entertainment awards – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.

Rosa Dolores Alverio was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, and grew up in nearby Juncos. At the age of 5, after her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to NYC. When her mother remarried, she adopted her stepfather’s surname – Moreno. The family settled in Valley Stream, New York, where she took dance classes and paved her way into the entertainment industry. At 11, she began dubbing Spanish-language versions of American films, and at 13, she had her Broadway debut, playing Angelina in Skydrift. Five years later, Moreno had her first big-screen appearance in the movie So Young, So Bad, and after it, she adapted her stage name – Rita Moreno. She acted throughout the 1950s, landing small roles in notable films such as Singin’ in the Rain and The King and I. In 1961, Moreno played Anita’s role in the film adaptation of West Side Story, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress – the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar. With such accolade in her resume, Moreno thought that she would be able to play less stereotypical characters for her next films, and with no such offer, she did not perform in another movie for the next seven years.
At 33, she returned to Broadway, performing in The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, and continued to play in one production after another, winning her Tony in 1975 for her depiction of Googie Gomez in The Ritz. In 1968 Moreno returned to film, starring alongside Marlon Brando in The Night of the Following Day. She continued to steadily appear on screen in different genres, from romantic comedies such as The Four Seasons to dramas such as King of the Corner. Moreno’s first serious role in TV was in 1971 in the children’s series The Electric Company, becoming recognized for shouting the show’s opening line, “Hey, you guys!” and winning a Grammy Award with her fellow cast members. In 1977, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for her appearance on The Muppet Show, becoming the first Hispanic woman and the third person to win an EGOT – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
Over the years, she made guest appearances on numerous TV shows, including The Love Boat, The Golden Girls, The Nanny, and Miami Vice, and steady roles in various acclaimed shows, such as Sister Pete on Oz and as the matriarch Lydia Riera on One Day at a Time.
 

More Interesting Anecdotes:

• Her nickname is Rosita.
• Her mother was 17 when she had her.
• She got married at 34 to Leonard Gordon, a cardiologist who became her manager. She has one daughter.
• In 1954 she was featured on the cover of Life Magazine with the caption “Rita Moreno: An Actress’s Catalog of Sex and Innocence.
• She is the star and executive produce of the 2021 Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story.
• She voiced Carmen Sandiego on the 90s’ animated series “Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?” and of Cookie Booker in the 2019 version.
• She performed at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration.
• In the 1960s, she tried to commit suicide after a mistreated abortion.
• She was romantically involved with Elvis Presley and Marlon Brando.
• Citizen Kane is her favorite film.
• She performed solo in her autobiographical show Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup.
• She is the first Latino to receive a Peabody Award.