In this New York Times bestselling memoir, West Side Story star Rita Moreno shares her remarkable journey from a young girl with simple beginnings in Puerto Rico to Hollywood legend—one of the few performers, and the only Hispanic, to win an Oscar, Grammy, Tony and two Emmys.
After earning the four major entertainment awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, Moreno became the first Latina woman to have an “E.G.O.T.” In 2004, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her many contributions to the arts. Rita Moreno was born on December 11, 1931 in Humacao, Puerto Rico.
What is the most interesting fact about Rita Moreno?
Rita Moreno's extensive career in music, film and dance ranges from her Academy-Award winning performance as Anita in the 1962 motion picture "West Side Story" to her two Emmy Award-winning performances on "The Muppet Show." She is the only female performer to win all four of the entertainment industry's most ...
But in what would be her first clear experience of how little power she had in that era, the teenager known as Rosa Dolores Alverio was forced to change her name. "They didn't know what to do with me because of my name," she says. "I didn't like the name Rita but they chose it because I liked the actress Rita Hayworth.
Rita Moreno | Celebrating her Most Important Moments
What did Joan Crawford do to Rita Moreno?
But offstage, her night was only getting started: After accepting the award from Hudson, she ran into Joan Crawford backstage, who was there to present the best actor award and, as Moreno put it, “drunk as a skunk on vodka.” “She hugged me so hard she covered my face entirely,” Moreno said.
The West Side Story star shares daughter Fernanda Luisa Gordon with her late husband Leonard Gordon. Moreno and Leonard, a former doctor who later managed Moreno's career, got married in 1965 and welcomed Fernanda a year later. Leonard died in June 2010 at 90 years old.
"My husband was a terrific man, just not a good husband. He was a controller." Moreno added that she would never have shared these feelings publicly while Gordon was alive — much less in a documentary. "I would never have talked about him without his permission.
Family is very important to Moreno; she also loves cooking, especially Puerto Rican and Cuban food. Her go-to dish is rice and beans with sweet plantains.
In 1965, Moreno married cardiologist and internist Leonard Gordon, who became her manager after he retired from medicine. In 1995, they relocated to Berkeley, California. They remained together until his death in 2010. Moreno and Gordon have one daughter, Fernanda Gordon Fisher, and two grandsons.
Her Sagittarius traits are apparent in her personality as she is known for being enthusiastic, optimistic, and adventurous. She has an infectious sense of humor and a lively spirit that makes her a joy to be around.
Rita Moreno does not currently have a husband. Her late husband, her only husband, was Leonard Gordon. Gordon was a cardiologist and internist before retiring from medicine to become his wife's manager.
What are some fun facts about Rita Moreno for kids?
From 1971 to 1977, Rita starred in a children's television series called The Electric Company. In 1972, she was given a Grammy Award for the show's soundtrack. In 1975, a few years after winning her Grammy, she starred in the Broadway production of The Ritz as Googie Gomez.
What was the relationship between Marlon Brando and Rita Moreno?
Moreno and Brando, who died in 2004, had a tempestuous relationship in the 1950s and 1960s that also included acting in multiple films together. The Puerto Rican actor was struggling with the stereotypical roles and predatory executives permeating Hollywood when she and Brando started dating.
Rita Moreno was hooked when she was tapped to play a ghost in the television comedy "Lopez vs. Lopez," starring comedian George Lopez and his daughter, Mayan Lopez.
Until the age of 5, Moreno lived in Juncos, Puerto Rico on the edge of the El Yunque rainforest. Moreno's mother, Rosa Maria, took 5-year-old Moreno to New York City via the S.S. Carabobo, leaving behind her younger brother Francisco.
From the time she was eleven Moreno was the Spanish-speaking voice of such performers as Elizabeth Taylor and Judy Garland in dubbed movies. Moreno attended Public School 132 in Brooklyn during this time. She dropped out of high school at age sixteen.
With a career spanning nearly 80 years in the entertainment industry, Moreno is one of a few individuals to have won the four major annual American entertainment awards: an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.
