Her parents divorced, and she and her mother moved to New York. Her mother later remarried Edward Moreno. First began speaking English when she entered elementary school. She was the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award.
“I have many hobbies that help me unwind,” Rita divulges. “I take enormous joy in feeding the little birds in my area. I have a big, beautiful patio with bird feeders everywhere. I love, love hearing music, so I play music in my house all day long, and I'm also a news junkie.
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's professional career began before she reached adolescence. From the age of nine, she performed as a professional dancer in New York night clubs. At age 11, she landed her first movie experience, dubbing Spanish-language versions of US films.
Rita Moreno | Celebrating her Most Important Moments
How old was Rita Moreno when she started her career?
She was first hired at age 11 to record Spanish language versions of American films. Shortly after this, Moreno made her Broadway debut at age 13 as “Angelina” in Skydrift. This role caught the attention of Hollywood filmmakers and she started receiving offers from Hollywood agents.
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.
Although Moreno only did some of her own singing decades ago, she now gets to perform one of West Side Story's most iconic songs, “Somewhere”. Indeed, with these talented and groundbreaking stars, it is no wonder that West Side Story has become one of the most critically acclaimed films of the decade.
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.
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.
Around the age of 6, Moreno began taking Spanish dance lessons from Paco Cansino, the teacher and uncle of Rita Hayworth. At the age of 9, Moreno had her first performance dancing at a nightclub in Greenwich Village. Throughout her early teens, she would perform at clubs around New York, often going by herself.
She broke racial and gender barriers through her portrayals of an Irish teacher, Italian widow, evangelist, English lady and southern belle, helping pave the way for non-traditional casting of Latinas.
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 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).
For the original Broadway cast recording, the song was performed by Chita Rivera (Anita) and Carol Lawrence (Maria). In the 1961 film version the roles were played by Rita Moreno and Natalie Wood, but the songs were dubbed by Betty Wand and Marni Nixon (as both Anita and Maria).
Moreno also frequently appeared on television. From 1971 to 1977 she starred in the children's educational series The Electric Company, where she became noted for the catchphrase “Hey, you guys!” In 1972 she received a Grammy for her work on the show's album.
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.
