![]() In 1975 she won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Googie Gomez in the comedic play The Ritz. Her later movies include Summer and Smoke (1961), Carnal Knowledge (1971), and Slums of Beverly Hills (1998).įrom time to time Moreno returned to the stage. Despite this success, she continued to struggle to find good film roles. A musical, it highlighted her energetic dancing. In 1962 Moreno won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Anita in the film West Side Story. Her early career was plagued by studios wanting to cast her only in stereotypical, ethnic roles. As a Latina in Hollywood at the time, however, the types of parts offered to Moreno were limited. Other early performances were in the movies Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and The King and I (1956). Her film debut was in So Young, So Bad (1950). ![]() She made her New York stage debut at age 13, acting in the play Skydrift (1945). She took dance lessons, and at age 11 she began dubbing voices for American child stars in films released to Spanish-speaking countries. Rosa started her performing career at a young age. She ultimately adopted Rita Moreno as her stage name. Her mother eventually remarried, and Rosa began using her stepfather’s surname, Moreno. A few years later her parents divorced, and she moved to New York City with her mother. Rosa Dolores Alverio was born on December 11, 1931, in Humacao, Puerto Rico. She was also the first Latina to receive an Oscar (Academy Award). This feat is called an EGOT, with each letter standing for an award: Emmy (for television), Grammy (music), Oscar (film), and Tony (theater). Moreno was the third person and the first Hispanic performer to win all four major North American entertainment awards. She performed in films, television shows, and plays. Rita Moreno, an American actor, singer, and dancer, won many awards for her work. And I think that until we as Latino actors get to do roles that have really serious meaning, it’s going to be impossible to get nominated.Copyright © 1961 United Artists Corporation Are you going to get an Oscar nomination for one of those Judd Apatow movies? Not likely, no matter what nationality you are. “A lot of young Latino actors have said to me, “Why can’t we get an Oscar? Why can’t we be nominated?” And the terrible truth is that if you don’t get the right parts, you’re not going to be. But that’s what happens when you’re first, right?”Ħ. But it turns out that I am to a lot of the Hispanic community. I really don’t think of myself as a role model. Which is probably why I’m now known in my community as ‘La Pionera’, or the Pioneer. “There was nobody that I could look up and say “That’s somebody like me”. “You don’t die if someone doesn’t like you.”ĥ. I know people who are older than I am who are twenty-five… It’s all about attitude. But I felt I had talent.”ģ, “People tell me I look good these days. Maybe people need to have that kind of particular core driving them. But even then I knew that I had something special, and maybe that’s what it takes. I’ve always believed that I had talent, even when I felt like a very inferior sort of person, which I spent a lot of time living my life feeling that I wasn’t worthy. Though she was thrilled with the award, she struggled to land another top role for years after that, and returned to Broadway in 1964.ġ. In 1961, Moreno was cast as Anita in West Side Story, which was a huge success and earned her an Oscar for her supporting role. They wouldn’t even see me.” – Rita Moreno Has Time Only for the Truth, The New Yorker Would you please talk to the producer? I’ll be happy to audition.” It never worked. …”One of the most heartbreaking things that happened to me, and it happened so frequently, is I would go to my agent and say, “I heard that such-and-such a movie is going to be made, and I think I’d be really good in the part. When she got to Hollywood, she was cast as one ethnic stereotype after another-not just spicy Latinas but simple Native American maidens and the Burmese ingénue in “The King and I.” Though she was cast in many roles, minorities such as Rita Moreno struggled to find roles that were not stereotypical or what she later called “degrading”. Her first appearance on Broadway was in 1945, at 14 years old. She began dancing professionally at the age of 9, and acted in her first movie at only 11 years old. Moreno’s career began at a very early age. Her name when she was born was Rosita Dolores Alverío, and she moved to New York with her mother at 5 years old. Rita Moreno was born in Puerto Rico on December 11, 1931. Famous For: One of only three people in the world to be a PEGOT- the recipient of a Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
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