So on April 9, 1962, when Rock Hudson opened the envelope, paused, then read her name — making Moreno, who is Puerto Rican, the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award — her saucer-size eyes and open mouth said it all.

How did Rita Moreno get an Oscar?

That year, however, Moreno received critical acclaim as the fiery and cynical Anita in West Side Story. For her performance—which highlighted her energetic dancing—Moreno won an Academy Award for best supporting actress. (Although she was a singer, her singing voice was dubbed in the movie.)

Who is the only black actress to win an Oscar for leading lady?

With her performance in "Monster's Ball" (2001), Halle Berry became the first, and so far only, African-American woman to win the Oscar for Best 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.

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.

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

Which actress from West Side Story was not invited to the Oscars?

Her work has appeared in Bustle, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and more. She lives in California with her dog. West Side Story star Rachel Zegler says she wasn't invited to the upcoming 94th Academy Awards.

What is a famous quote from Rita Moreno?

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

Who 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.

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 Black woman has two Oscars?

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ruth E. Carter made history: The costume designer behind the “Black Panther” films became the first Black woman to win two Oscars.

Who is the only woman of Colour to win an Oscar?

Halle Berry remains the only Black woman to win an Oscar for best actress. Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win best director in 2010.

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.

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.

What ethnicity is Rita Moreno?

Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress. She is the first and only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony and at the time the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award.

What are 5 facts about Rita Moreno?

Did Marlon Brando and Rita Moreno have a child together?

Personal life. From 1954 to 1962, Moreno was in an on-and-off relationship with Marlon Brando. She revealed in her memoir that she became pregnant by Brando and he arranged for an abortion.

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 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.

Did anyone from West Side Story win an Oscar?

West Side Story also won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (George Chakiris), Best Supporting Actress (Rita Moreno), Color Art Direction-Set Decoration (Boris Leven and Victor A. Gangelin), Color Cinematography (Daniel L.

How many Oscars did West Side Story receive?

West Side Story won a total of 10 Oscars at the 34th Academy Awards in 1962, making it the musical film with the most Academy wins, including Best Picture.

Who was the first Latina to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in West Side Story?

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.