Given the nickname “Rosita,” when she was young, Moreno's birth name was Rosa Dolores Alverío. She spent much of her childhood on a Puerto Rican farm until she was five years old. Her mother saved enough money for them to move to New York, but Moreno's little brother Francisco had to be left behind.

Was Rita Moreno the only Puerto Rican in the original West Side Story?

When Rita Moreno starred as Anita in West Side Story, the 1961 movie in which half of the characters are Puerto Rican, she was the only Latino performer among the cast.

Why did Rita Moreno immigrate to America?

Born into poverty on a Puerto Rican farm, Moreno and her seamstress mother immigrated to New York City when Moreno was five years old. After studying dance and performing on Broadway, Moreno was cast as any ethnic minority the Hollywood studios needed filled: Polynesian, Native American, Egyptian and more.

Why did Rita Moreno change her name?

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.

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.

Rita Moreno on her first experiences with racism

Did Rita Moreno have a child with?

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.

How old was Rita Moreno when she moved to the US?

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.

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 ...

What is a famous quote from Rita Moreno?

Bigger than life is not difficult for me. I am bigger than life.

Why was Rita Moreno so dark in West Side Story?

When Rita Moreno was filming the 1961 movie “West Side Story,” her skin color — as well as that of the numerous white actors playing Puerto Rican characters — was darkened with makeup. Moreno, who is Puerto Rican, questioned the makeup artist on set about the practice.

Why didn t Rita Moreno play Maria in West Side Story?

Natalie Wood ended up starring in the film as Maria. Though Moreno praised Wood's acting, especially during the film's tragic finale, she took issue with an iconic Puerto Rican role going to a white actress. "I don't think she was anything like the Maria that I envisioned in my head.

Where is Rita Moreno's house?

Rita Moreno's California House Hunt

Several glasses of white wine are partly responsible for where I live now—in a contemporary house overlooking San Francisco Bay in the Berkeley Hills. In the 1990s, my husband, Leonard Gordon, and I lived in a lovely house in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.

What are 5 facts about Rita Moreno?

How many times has Rita Moreno been married?

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 does Rita Moreno eat?

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.

Was Rita Moreno ever married?

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.

How old was Rita Moreno when she was with Marlon Brando?

Moreno and Brando met when she was 22 on the set of the 1954 Napoleon biopic Désirée. They had a nearly-eight-year relationship.

What type of education did Rita Moreno have?

Moreno attended Public School 132 in Brooklyn during this time. She dropped out of high school at age sixteen. On 13 November 1945 Moreno made her Broadway debut at the Belasco Theater as Angelina, the youngest sister of an Italian soldier, in Skydrift, a World War II drama that lasted only seven performances.

Was Rita Moreno on George Lopez?

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.

What are some interesting facts about Rita Moreno for kids?

She performed in films, television shows, and plays. Moreno was the third person and the first Hispanic performer to win all four major North American entertainment awards. This feat is called an EGOT, with each letter standing for an award: Emmy (for television), Grammy (music), Oscar (film), and Tony (theater).