Moreno's early work included supporting roles in the classic musical films Singin' in the Rain (1952) and The King and I (1956), before her breakout role as Anita in West Side Story (1961), which earned her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Latin American woman to win an Academy Award.

What movie did Rita Moreno win an Oscar for?

Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno made history at the. 34th Academy Awards as the first Latina to win an. Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her take as the no- nonsense Anita in 'West Side Story.

What role won an Oscar for both Rita and Ariana?

Sixty years ago, Rita Moreno became the first Latina to win an Oscar, given for the role of Anita in West Side Story. Today, Ariana DeBose won best supporting actress for the same role, becoming part of an elite club of Oscar-winners who've received the accolade for playing the same character.

What did Rita Moreno win for West Side Story?

The venerable actress returned to the silver screen last December in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of "West Side Story," the same story that made her famous more than 60 years ago. Moreno's performance as Anita in the 1961 musical earned her an Academy Award for best supporting actress.

Why did Rita Moreno win the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

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.

Rita Moreno winning Best Supporting Actress | 34th Oscars (1962)

What is Rita Moreno most famous for?

Moreno's early work included supporting roles in the classic musical films Singin' in the Rain (1952) and The King and I (1956), before her breakout role as Anita in West Side Story (1961), which earned her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Latin American woman to win an Academy Award.

What is a famous quote from Rita Moreno?

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

Is Rita Moreno really Singing in West Side Story?

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”.

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.

How many Oscars does Rita Moreno have?

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.

Who is the only black woman to win two Oscars?

Carter becomes 1st Black woman to win 2 Oscars. Carter took home the best costume design award for the Marvel sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" on Sunday night.

Who is the only woman of color to win an Oscar for Best Actress?

Halle Berry remains the only Black woman to win an Academy Award for best actress. In 2001, Halle Berry became the first African American to win an Academy Award for best actress for "Monster's Ball."

What actress has won two Oscars in a row?

The only actress aside from Hepburn to win consecutive acting awards in Luise Rainer, who won in 1937 and 1938 for The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth, respectively.

Has Rita Moreno won an EGOT?

In 1977, Rita Moreno became the third person ever (and the second woman) to earn a set of EGOTs.

What awards did Rita Moreno win in her lifetime?

Rita Moreno has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business: an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy. Her countless credits span more than seven decades, beginning with her Broadway debut at age 13.

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.

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 are 5 facts about Rita Moreno?

Did Rita Moreno sing a boy like that?

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).

Who dubbed Natalie Wood in West Side Story?

Wood, who played Maria in 1961's West Side Story, was dubbed by actress Marni Nixon for Maria's singing parts, which include songs like “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” “One Hand, One Heart” and “Somewhere.” Wood recorded all of Maria's songs in a studio with an orchestra, which were then re-recorded by Nixon, according to ...

How old was Natalie Wood when she made West Side Story?

By the time 23-year-old Wood landed the role of Maria, she was already an established Hollywood veteran, a former child star (Miracle on 34th Street) who'd made the leap to more mature roles (Rebel Without a Cause).

What did Rita Moreno say about her husband?

"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.

What does Rita Moreno mean by I was the house ethnic?

"I became the house ethnic," Moreno told NPR in 2013 about her early days in the movies. "And that meant I had to play anything that was not American.