Rita Dolores Alverío, Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer, artistically known as Rita Moreno, has a career of more than 70 years. The daughter of a seamstress and a farmer, Moreno made her way to New York with her mother in 1936.
She began her artistic career in dance classes with a Spanish dancer known as Paco Cansino, who was the uncle of film star Rita Hayworth. By age 11, she was lending her voice to Spanish-language versions of multiple American films. Moreno made her Broadway debut at age 13, landing her first role in Skydrift as Angelina, a performance that caught the attention of Hollywood talent scouts.
Moreno started her career in cinema with small roles in films such as The Toast of New Orleans and Singin’ in the Rain. Her most emblematic roles were in The King and I and West Side Story, which earned her an Oscar for best supporting actress, which boosted her acting career.
Her role as Anita in West Side Story, a film adaptation of the Broadway musical, set a precedent by winning an Oscar while playing a role that, at the time, broke Latina stereotypes. Moreno proved to Hollywood that prejudices and stereotypes have no place in the world of film; but Hollywood still had a long way to go before it achieved any semblance of racial equality.
Nowadays, Moreno continues to be active as a singer and actress in theater, film, and television. She has made small appearances in TV series since 2000 in programs such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She was part of the main cast of Cane and appeared on the television series Happily Divorced. She also ventured into music by releasing a self-titled album in 2000.
Rita Moreno is a source of pride for Latinos. In addition to guest appearances on Jane the Virgin and Grace & Frankie, Moreno is a part of the cast of One Day at a Time, a sitcom about a Latino family that highlights the experiences and realities of Latinos in the United States.
Rita Moreno is the only Latina actress to have reached the EGOT status, meaning she has been awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. She has also been awarded with a Golden Globe due to her artistic career.
Moreover, Moreno received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004, the highest civilian honor in the United States and has had her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 2015.
In September 2011, Moreno’s biography, Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup, was written by Tony Taccone after hours of interviews with Moreno. In November 2018, it was confirmed that she would be participating in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, revisiting the film that cemented her iconic status. The film was released in 2021 and was nominated for best picture.
Rita Moreno is an inspiration to the community, proving that talent and dedication can shine anywhere. Her great contributions to art and Latino representation on the big screen prove that Rita Morena is and will always be a pride to all Latinos.
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