Rita Moreno
“A trailblazing performer who conquered every stage of show business and broke barriers along the way.”
Rita Moreno became a star in 1961 with her fiery Anita in 'West Side Story,' winning the 1962 Best Supporting Actress Oscar and becoming the first Hispanic woman to win an Academy Award. That triumph launched a record-breaking career that made her one of the rare EGOT winners.
From Puerto Rico to Hollywood
Born Rosa Dolores Alverio in Humacao, Puerto Rico, she moved to New York as a child and began performing young. After small roles in MGM musicals, she fought against the limited 'ethnic' parts Hollywood offered Latina actresses.
Anita and the Oscar
Her electrifying Anita in 1961's 'West Side Story' won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar. The role remains one of the most celebrated in movie-musical history.
An EGOT and Living Legend
Moreno went on to win an Emmy, Grammy and Tony, completing the rare EGOT. Honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and National Medal of Arts, she continued acting into her nineties, including the 'One Day at a Time' reboot.
Career Timeline
- 1931Born Rosa Dolores Alverio in Humacao, Puerto Rico
- 1952Appears in classic musical 'Singin' in the Rain'
- 1956Plays Tuptim in 'The King and I'
- 1961Star-making role as Anita in 'West Side Story'
- 1962Wins Best Supporting Actress Oscar
- 1972Grammy for 'The Electric Company' soundtrack
- 1975Wins Tony Award for Broadway's 'The Ritz'
- 1977Wins first of two Emmy Awards
- 2004Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 2009Awarded the National Medal of Arts
- 2017Co-stars in 'One Day at a Time' reboot
Biggest Hits
- Moreno is one of the few performers to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony across her career.
- After her 'West Side Story' Oscar, she was offered mostly ethnic stereotype roles and refused to make a film for seven years rather than accept them.
The Moment You Remember
She is remembered leading the spirited rooftop number "America" in West Side Story, dancing with a force and joy that carried her to an Academy Award.
Portrait: PhilipRomanoPhoto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons