View source for Rita Moreno

{{short description|Puerto Rican singer, dancer, and actress (born 1931)}}
{{pp-semi-blp|small=yes}}
{{family name hatnote|Alverío|Marcano|lang=Spanish}}
{{use American English|date = December 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Rita Moreno
| image              = RitaMoreno.jpg
| caption            = Moreno in 2025
| birth_name         = Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1931|12|11}}
| birth_place        = [[Humacao]], [[Puerto Rico]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actress|singer|dancer}}
| years_active       = 1943–present
| works              = [[Rita Moreno on screen and stage|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|Leonard Gordon|1965|2010|end=died}}
| children           = 1
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Rita Moreno|Full list]]
}}

'''Rita Moreno''' (born '''Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano''';<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gettell|first=Oliver|date=January 18, 2014|title=SAG Awards 2014: Rita Moreno receives lifetime achievement award|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-sag-awards-2014-rita-moreno-life-achievement-award-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914140131/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-sag-awards-2014-rita-moreno-life-achievement-award-story.html|archive-date=September 14, 2021|access-date=October 25, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> born December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rita-Moreno|title=Rita Moreno &#124; Biography, West Side Story, Movies, Oscar, & Facts|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=October 15, 2021|archive-date=October 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011160936/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rita-Moreno|url-status=live}}</ref> With a career spanning eight decades she is known for her roles on stage and screen, and is one of the last remaining stars from the [[Golden Age of Hollywood]]. Among her [[List of awards and nominations received by Rita Moreno|numerous accolades]], she is one of the few actors to have been awarded an [[EGOT|Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT)]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/awards/egot-winners/ |title=16 stars who are EGOT winners |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=July 27, 2020 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=July 28, 2020 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727174052/https://ew.com/awards/egot-winners/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Oscars 2014: Bobby Lopez becomes youngest person to get an EGOT with Best Original Song win for 'Let It Go'|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/oscars/oscars-2014-bobby-lopez-youngest-person-egot-article-1.1709007|work=Daily News|location=New York|access-date=March 6, 2014|author=Nicole Lyn Pesce|author2=Joe Dziemianowicz|author3=Margaret Eby|date=March 3, 2014|archive-date=March 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306074357/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/oscars/oscars-2014-bobby-lopez-youngest-person-egot-article-1.1709007|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Triple Crown of Acting]].{{efn|with individual competitive [[Academy Awards|Academy]], [[Emmy]], and [[Tony Awards|Tony]] awards}} She has been honored with [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] in 2004, the [[National Medal of Arts]] in 2009, the [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]] in 2013, the [[Kennedy Center Honors|Kennedy Center Honor]] in 2015, and a [[Peabody Award]] in 2019.

Moreno's early work included supporting roles in the classic musical films ''[[Singin' in the Rain]]'' (1952) and ''[[The King and I (1956 film)|The King and I]]'' (1956), before her breakout role as Anita in ''[[West Side Story (1961 film)|West Side Story]]'' (1961), which earned her the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]], becoming the first [[Hispanic]] woman to win an [[Academy Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rita-moreno-first-hispanic-woman-to-win-oscar-west-side-story|title= Rita Moreno becomes the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar|website= [[History Channel]]|date= September 26, 2019|accessdate= January 20, 2022}}</ref> Moreno returned in the supporting role of Valentina in the 2021 [[Steven Spielberg|Spielberg]]-directed [[West Side Story (2021 film)|remake of the same name]]. Her other films include ''[[Popi]]'' (1969), ''[[Carnal Knowledge (film)|Carnal Knowledge]]'' (1971), ''[[The Four Seasons (1981 film)|The Four Seasons]]'' (1981), ''[[I Like It Like That (film)|I Like It Like That]]'' (1994), ''[[Slums of Beverly Hills]]'' (1998), and ''[[Fast X]]'' (2023).

In theater, she starred as Googie Gomez in the 1975 [[Terrence McNally]] musical ''[[The Ritz (play)|The Ritz]]'' earning her the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical]]. She reprised her role in the [[The Ritz (film)|1976 film]] directed by [[Richard Lester]] which earned her a [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best Actress]] nomination. She also acted in [[Lorraine Hansberry]]'s ''[[The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window]]'' in 1964 and in [[Neil Simon]]'s ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]'' in 1985.

She was a cast member in ''[[The Electric Company]]'' (1971–1977), for which she earned an Emmy in 1972, and played Sister Peter Marie Reimondo on the [[HBO]] series ''[[Oz (TV series)|Oz]]'' (1997–2003). She received two consecutive [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] for her roles on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' in 1977 and ''[[The Rockford Files]]'' in 1978. She acted in ''[[Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?]]'' (1994–1999), [[The CW]] series ''[[Jane the Virgin]]'' (2015–2019), and the [[Netflix]] revival of ''[[One Day at a Time (2017 series)|One Day at a Time]]'' (2017–2020). Her life was profiled in ''[[Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It]]'' (2021).

==Early years==
Rita Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano, on December 11, 1931, in a [[Humacao|Humacao, Puerto Rico]], hospital to Rosa María (née Marcano) (1912–1999), a seamstress, and Francisco José "Paco" Alverío, a farmer who was born in 1908. She was nicknamed "Rosita" and raised in nearby [[Juncos]].<ref name="autobio">{{cite book|title=Rita Moreno: A Memoir|publisher= Celebra (Penguin Group)|year=2013|isbn=978-0-451-41637-7}}</ref><ref name="filmr">filmreference.com blacklisted <!--{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/49/Rita-Moreno.html|title=Rita Moreno Biography (1931-)|website=www.filmreference.com}} --></ref> Her maternal grandparents were Justino Marcano (b. Puerto Rico) and Trinidad from Spain.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUVHG1gBl7cC&q=rita+moreno+trinidad+lopez&pg=PT17|title=Rita Moreno: A Memoir|publisher=Celebra (Penguin Group)|year=2013|isbn=978-0-451-41637-7|access-date=February 2, 2020|archive-date=October 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025190715/https://books.google.com/books?id=rUVHG1gBl7cC&q=rita+moreno+trinidad+lopez&pg=PT17|url-status=live}}</ref> Moreno's mother moved to New York City in 1936, taking her daughter, but not her son, Moreno's younger brother, Francisco, whom Moreno would not see again until 2021.<ref name="The View">{{cite web |title=Rita Moreno Says It Was "Spooky" Working Alongside New Anita in "West Side Story" |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9jsH1emWrA |website=YouTube |access-date=December 13, 2021 |date=December 1, 2021}}</ref> Moreno adopted the surname of her first stepfather, Edward Moreno, Rosa Maria's second husband. She spent her teenage years living in the NYC suburb of [[Valley Stream, New York|Valley Stream]] on [[Long Island]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Rita Moreno joining Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story' remake |url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/rita-moreno-west-side-story-1.23972409 |access-date=December 3, 2018 |work=Newsday |date=November 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128032238/https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/rita-moreno-west-side-story-1.23972409 |archive-date= November 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==
===1945–1959: Theater debut and early films===
[[File:Rita-Moreno-1.jpg|thumb|Rita Moreno in 1954]]
Moreno began her first dancing lessons soon after arriving in New York with a Spanish dancer known as "Paco Cansino", who was a paternal uncle of film star [[Rita Hayworth]].<ref>{{YouTube|QeGVeVO03Gc|Rita Moreno Interview 2000}}.</ref> When she was 11 years old, she lent her voice to Spanish-language versions of American films. She had her first [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] role, as "Angelina" in the 1945 production of ''Skydrift'', by the age of 13, which caught the attention of Hollywood talent scouts. Moreno said she was raped by her agent while she was a teen actor.<ref>[https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/29/rita-moreno-survivor-of-toxic-hollywood-men-addresses-ansel-elgort-allegations/ Article] from 2022 in [[The Mercury News]]</ref><ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rita-moreno-west-side-story-60-minutes-2021-11-28/ Interview in 60 minutes] from 2021 on CBS</ref>

Moreno's film career began in the later years of the [[Golden Age of Hollywood]]. Moreno and her mother moved to a Culver City "cottage" within walking distance of [[MGM]].<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/stream-rita-moreno-documentary/11654/ ''Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It'']—''[[American Masters]]'' Season 35, Episode 19 (documentary)</ref> She acted steadily in films throughout the 1950s, usually in small roles, including in ''[[The Toast of New Orleans]]'' (1950)<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Tempts Crawford' Betty Garrett Ending MGM Pact; "Mother" Set|first=Edwin|last=Schallert|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 22, 1950}}</ref> In 1952, she appeared in [[Stanley Donen]]'s musical comedy film ''[[Singin' in the Rain]]'' alongside [[Gene Kelly]], [[Debbie Reynolds]] and [[Donald O'Connor]]. In the film she played silent film star Zelda Zanders. She described having gotten the role by Gene Kelly "wanting her in the movie" and that she "seemed to fit the role for him". Moreno praised Kelly for casting her in a non-stereotypical Hispanic role playing Zelda saying, "he never said 'Oh she's too Latina', he just thought I'd be fine for it". She called the experience working in the film as an "amazing experience" and a "privilege".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFACep1SThs|title= Rita Moreno & SINGIN IN THE RAIN|website= Youtube|date= November 27, 2006|access-date= March 13, 2021|archive-date= February 29, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200229104230/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFACep1SThs|url-status= live}}</ref>

In March 1954, Moreno was featured on the cover of ''Life'' magazine with the caption "Rita Moreno: An Actress's Catalog of Sex and Innocence".<ref name="berkeleyside.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/09/08/rita-morenos-life-laid-bare-in-life-without-makeup/ |title=Rita Moreno's life laid bare in 'Life without Makeup' |work=Berkeleyside |access-date=September 10, 2011 |date=September 8, 2011 |archive-date=September 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910011221/http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/09/08/rita-morenos-life-laid-bare-in-life-without-makeup/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Moreno disliked most of her film work during this period, as she felt the roles she was given were very stereotypical. One exception was her supporting role in the film version of [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s ''[[The King and I (1956 film)|The King and I]]'' directed by [[Walter Lang]]. In the film she played Tuptim, a slave brought from Burma to be one of the King's junior wives.<ref name="IMDB">{{IMDb name|0001549}}</ref> She starred alongside [[Yul Brynner]] and [[Deborah Kerr]]. The film was a critical and financial success. It received nine [[Academy Award]] nominations including five wins including [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]], [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction – Color]], [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design – Color]], [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]], and [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound Recording]]. In 1959, Moreno appeared as [[Lola Montez]] in Season 3, Episode 23, of the TV western ''[[Tales of Wells Fargo]]'', episode title "Lola Montez".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0717165/ |title=Lola Montez |website=IMDb |date=February 16, 1959 |access-date=February 10, 2020 |archive-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209091640/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0717165/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1960–1969: Breakout with ''West Side Story''===
[[File:West Side Story (1961) still 2.jpg|thumb|Moreno as Anita in ''[[West Side Story (1961 film)|West Side Story]]'']]
In 1961, Moreno landed the role of Anita in [[Robert Wise]] and [[Jerome Robbins]]' film adaptation of [[Leonard Bernstein]]'s and [[Stephen Sondheim]]'s groundbreaking [[Broadway musical]] ''[[West Side Story (1961 film)|West Side Story]]'', which had been played by [[Chita Rivera]] on Broadway. Moreno earned acclaim for her performance. Bosley Crowther of ''[[The New York Times]]'' described Moreno's performance full of "spitfire".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/west-re.html|title= REVIEW - WEST SIDE STORY|website= [[The New York Times]]|accessdate= August 28, 2023}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "Moreno...presents a fiery characterization and also scores hugely".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/1961/film/reviews/west-side-story-3-1200420009/|title= West Side Story|website= Variety|date= September 27, 1961|accessdate= August 28, 2023}}</ref> The film went on to win ten [[Academy Awards]] including for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. Moreno won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for that role.<ref name="RM">{{Cite web |url=http://www.scottstander.com/Personalities/rita_moreno.html |title=Rita Moreno fan site |access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131223114322/http://www.scottstander.com/Personalities/rita_moreno.html |archive-date=December 23, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

After winning the Oscar, Moreno thought she would be able to continue to perform less stereotypical film roles, but was disappointed:

{{blockquote|Ha, ha. I showed them. I didn't make another movie for seven years after winning the Oscar.... Before ''West Side Story'', I was always offered the stereotypical Latina roles. The Conchitas and Lolitas in westerns. I was always barefoot. It was humiliating, embarrassing stuff. But I did it because there was nothing else. After ''West Side Story'', it was pretty much the same thing. A lot of gang stories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/rita-moreno.htm|title=Rita Moreno overcame Hispanic stereotypes to achieve stardom|work=[[The Miami Herald]]|access-date=September 10, 2011|date=September 14, 2008|archive-date=August 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823223706/http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/rita-moreno.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

Moreno had a major role in ''[[Summer and Smoke (film)|Summer and Smoke]]'' (1961), released soon after ''West Side Story''. She did appear in one film during her self-imposed exile from Hollywood&nbsp;– ''[[Cry of Battle]]'' (1963)&nbsp;– although it had been filmed directly before and after she won the Academy Award. She made her return to film in ''[[The Night of the Following Day]]'' (1968) with [[Marlon Brando]], and followed that with ''[[Popi]]'' (1969), and ''[[Marlowe (1969 film)|Marlowe]]'' (1969) with [[James Garner]]. Moreno's Broadway credits include ''[[Last of the Red Hot Lovers]]'' (1969), the musical ''[[Gantry (musical)|Gantry]]'' (1970), and ''[[The Ritz (play)|The Ritz]]'', for which she won the 1975 [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play]]. She appeared in the female version of ''[[The Female Odd Couple|The Odd Couple]]''<ref name="IMDB" /> that ran in Chicago, for which she won the [[Sarah Siddons Award]] in 1985.<ref name="RM"/> Her costar [[Sally Struthers]] later stated in an interview on ''[[Gilbert Gottfried]]'s Amazing Colossal Podcast'' that it was an unpleasant experience until Rita Moreno, who Struthers alleges was mean-spirited towards her, left the play and was replaced by [[Brenda Vaccaro]].<ref>[https://soundcloud.com/gilbertgottfried/sally-struthers-part-2 soundcloud.com]</ref>

===1970–1999: Established actress===
[[File:Rita Moreno in The Ritz (1975).jpg|thumb|left|Moreno in ''[[The Ritz (film)|The Ritz]]'' in 1975]]

From 1971 to 1977, Moreno was a main cast member on the [[PBS]] children's series ''[[The Electric Company]]''. She screamed the show's opening line, "Hey, you guys!" Her roles on the show included Millie the Helper, the naughty little girl Pandora, and [[Otto The Director|Otto]], a very short-tempered director. Moreno also starred in [[Mike Nichols]]' ''[[Carnal Knowledge (film)|Carnal Knowledge]]'' (1971) alongside [[Jack Nicholson]], [[Candice Bergen]], [[Ann-Margret]], and [[Art Garfunkel]]. In the film she plays a prostitute named Louise, whom Jack Nicholson plays cards with. The film was a critical success. In 1976 she starred as Googie Gomez in [[Richard Lester]]'s film adaptation of the comedy [[farce]] ''[[The Ritz (film)|The Ritz]]'' alongside [[Jack Weston]], [[Jerry Stiller]], and [[F. Murray Abraham]]. [[Charles Champlin]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote that the film made the transition from the stage "surprisingly well, given the odds," with "two of the most flamboyantly entertaining and skillful comedy performances of the year" by Jack Weston and Rita Moreno.<ref>{{cite news|last=Champlin|first=Charles|date=October 6, 1976|title=Gays and Gags in 'The Ritz'|url=https://latimes.newspapers.com/clip/40526267/|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|at=Part IV: 1|access-date=March 13, 2021|archive-date=October 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025190717/https://latimes.newspapers.com/clip/40526267/los-angeles-times-movie-reviewthe/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Moreno's appearance on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' earned her a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program]] in 1977.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/i-cant-stop-laughing-rita-moreno-remembers-singing-with-animal |title='I Can't Stop Laughing': Rita Moreno Remembers Singing with Animal |date=August 7, 2018 |magazine=The New Yorker |first=Elon |last=Green |access-date=February 10, 2020 |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929183243/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/i-cant-stop-laughing-rita-moreno-remembers-singing-with-animal |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result, she became the third person (after [[Richard Rodgers]] and [[Helen Hayes]]) to have won an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] (1962), a [[Grammy]] (1972), a [[Tony Awards|Tony]] (1975), and an [[Emmy]] (1977), frequently referred to as an "[[EGOT]]". She won another Emmy award the following year, 1978, this time a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series]], for her portrayal of former [[call girl]] Rita Kapcovic on a three-episode arc on ''[[The Rockford Files]]''.

In the 1980s, Moreno starred as Lucille in [[Richard Benner]]'s comedy-drama film ''[[Happy Birthday, Gemini]]'' alongside [[Madeline Kahn]]. She was in [[Alan Alda]]'s ''[[The Four Seasons (1981 film)|The Four Seasons]]'' (1981) which was a financial and critical hit and starred Alda, [[Carol Burnett]], [[Len Cariou]], [[Sandy Dennis]], and [[Jack Weston]]. She was a regular on the three-season network run of ''[[9 to 5 (TV series)|9 to 5]]'', a sitcom based on [[9 to 5 (film)|the film hit]], during the early 1980s.<ref name="IMDb">{{IMDb name|401449}}</ref> Rita Moreno has made numerous guest appearances on television series in the 1980s, including ''[[The Love Boat]]'', ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', ''[[The Golden Girls]]'', and ''[[Miami Vice]]''.

In 1993, Moreno was invited to perform at President [[Bill Clinton]]'s inauguration and later that month was asked to perform at the White House.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.speakersonhealthcare.com/speakers/Rita_Moreno.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004215724/http://www.speakersonhealthcare.com/speakers/Rita_Moreno.php |url-status=dead |title=Speakers on healthcare|archive-date=October 4, 2013}}</ref> During the mid-1990s, Moreno provided the voice of [[Carmen Sandiego (character)|Carmen Sandiego]] on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s animated series ''[[Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?]]''<ref>{{cite news|title='Educating Rita|work=Chicago Tribune|date=May 4, 1994|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/05/04/educating-rita-4/|access-date=2 October 2010|first=Jennifer|last=Mangan|archive-date=September 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915115245/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-05-04/features/9405040222_1_carmen-sandiego-acme-detective-agency-earth|url-status=live}}</ref> In the franchise's [[Carmen Sandiego (TV series)|2019 animated series]], Moreno voices the character Cookie Booker. In the late 1990s, Moreno played [[Sister Pete]], a nun trained as a psychologist in the popular [[HBO]] series ''[[Oz (TV series)|Oz]]'', for which she won several [[ALMA Award]]s. She made a guest appearance on ''[[The Nanny]]'' as Coach Stone, [[Margaret Sheffield|Maggie]]'s tyrannical gym teacher, whom [[Fran Fine]] also remembered from her school as Ms. Wickavich.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/Rita-Moreno/1381 |website=All American Entertainment Speakers |publisher=All American Speakers Bureau |title=Rita Moreno |access-date=February 10, 2020 |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410103159/https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/rita-moreno/1381 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===2000s–2010s===
[[File:Rita Moreno 2014.jpg|thumb|upright|Moreno in 2014]]

She released an eponymous album of nightclub songs in 2000 on the [[Varèse Sarabande]] label, with liner notes by [[Michael Feinstein]].<ref>''Rita Moreno'', Varèse Sarabande 302 066 189 2 (2000)</ref>
In 2006, she portrayed Amanda Wingfield in [[Berkeley Repertory Theatre]]'s revival of ''[[The Glass Menagerie]]''.
She had a recurring role on ''[[Law & Order: Criminal Intent]]'' as the dying mother of Detective [[Robert Goren]]. She played the family matriarch on the 2007 TV series ''[[Cane (TV series)|Cane]]'', which starred [[Jimmy Smits]] and [[Hector Elizondo]]. She played the mother of [[Fran Drescher]]'s character in the 2011–13 TV sitcom ''[[Happily Divorced]]''.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

Since then, she has continued to work in film, including a small voice role in the 2014 film ''[[Rio 2]]'', perhaps her most commercially successful film. In September 2011, Moreno began performing a solo autobiographical show at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, ''Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup'' written by the theatre's artistic director Tony Taccone after hours of interviews with Moreno.<ref name="berkeleyside.com"/> In 2014, Moreno appeared in the NBC television film ''Old Soul'', alongside [[Natasha Lyonne]], [[Fred Willard]] and [[Ellen Burstyn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/02/rita-moreno-star-nbc-pilot-old-soul-679898/|title=Rita Moreno to Co-Star in Amy Poehler's NBC Comedy Pilot 'Old Soul'|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|author=Nellie Andreeva|date=February 8, 2014|access-date=February 28, 2014|archive-date=March 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301194315/http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/rita-moreno-star-nbc-pilot-old-soul/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was intended as a pilot for a television series, but it was not picked up.

Moreno plays the matriarch of a Cuban-American family in the Netflix sitcom ''[[One Day at a Time (2017 TV series)|One Day at a Time]]'', a remake produced by [[Norman Lear]] of Lear's [[One Day at a Time (1975 TV series)|1975–84 sitcom]]. The first season premiered in January 2017. Critics overall praised the show, and especially the performances of Moreno and the series' star, [[Justina Machado]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/one_day_at_a_time/s01/|title=One Day at a Time: Season 1|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=January 2017|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=January 8, 2017|archive-date=January 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107163203/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/one_day_at_a_time/s01|url-status=live}}</ref> Also that year, Moreno and others contributed to [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]]'s single "[[Almost Like Praying]]" where proceeds from the song went to the [[Hispanic Federation]]'s UNIDOS Disaster Relief program to benefit those affected by [[Hurricane Maria]] that devastated the island of Puerto Rico.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/veronicavillafane/2017/10/06/lin-manuel-miranda-releases-star-studded-almost-like-praying-song-for-puerto-rico-hurricane-relief/|title=Lin-Manuel Miranda Releases Star-Studded 'Almost Like Praying' Song For Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief|last=Villafañe|first=Veronica|work=Forbes|access-date=10 October 2017|archive-date=October 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011022855/https://www.forbes.com/sites/veronicavillafane/2017/10/06/lin-manuel-miranda-releases-star-studded-almost-like-praying-song-for-puerto-rico-hurricane-relief/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===2020s===
In 2020–21, Moreno starred in and executive-produced the [[Steven Spielberg]]–directed [[West Side Story (2021 film)|adaptation of ''West Side Story'']].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/rita-moreno-returns-to-west-side-story-egot-winner-to-play-the-role-of-valentina-in-steven-spielbergs-remake-1202509734/ |title=Rita Moreno Returns to 'West Side Story': EGOT Winner to Play the Role of Valentina in Steven Spielberg's Remake |date=November 27, 2018 |website=Deadline |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=February 10, 2020 |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220213326/https://deadline.com/2018/11/rita-moreno-returns-to-west-side-story-egot-winner-to-play-the-role-of-valentina-in-steven-spielbergs-remake-1202509734/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Moreno plays a newly created character, Valentina; she famously won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for playing Anita in [[West Side Story (1961 film)|the 1961 original movie]]. The film was released on December 10, 2021. Justin Chang of ''[[NPR]]'' wrote, "Sixty years later, Moreno is an executive producer on Spielberg's West Side Story. She also gives a poignant performance in the new role of Valentina, the widow of Doc, the drugstore owner. By her presence, Moreno teaches us how to approach this movie, as both an affectionate tribute and a gentle corrective."<ref>{{cite web|last1= Chang|first1= Justin|url= https://www.npr.org/2021/12/09/1062380664/steven-spielbergs-west-side-story-review|title= Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story' will make you believe in movies again|website= NPR|date= December 9, 2021|accessdate= May 31, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Rita Moreno at the Lin-Manuel Miranda Walk of Fame star ceremony (46123912501).jpg|thumb|upright=.8|left|Moreno at the [[Walk of Fame]] ceremony in 2022]]

On August 29, 2021, Moreno took part in the "''Wicked'' in Concert" special on [[PBS]], PBS.org and the PBS Video App, performing "The Wizard and I".<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.hispanicallyyours.com/rita-moreno-to-perform-in-pbs-wicked-in-concert-special/ |title=Rita Moreno to Perform in PBS' "Wicked in Concert" Special
|date=August 9, 2021
|access-date=October 24, 2021}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photos-See-Idina-Menzel-Kristin-Chenoweth-Amber-Riley-Gavin-Creel-Ali-Stroker-Alex-Newell-More-in-Photos-From-WICKED-IN-CONCERT-20210825/
|title=Photos: See Idina Menzel Kristin Chenoweth Amber Riley Gavin Creel Ali Stroker Alex Newell More in Photos From Wicked In Concert
|date=August 25, 2021
|access-date=October 24, 2021}}
</ref>

Moreno's life was profiled in the feature documentary entitled ''[[Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It]]'' which was produced by [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]]. The film premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] and received positive reviews. ''[[The Guardian]]'' declared, "Overall, she emerges just as vampish, feisty and fun as you’d expect, and as a gracious giver of speeches at ceremonies where she collects endless lifetime achievement awards".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/01/rita-moreno-just-a-girl-who-decided-to-go-for-it-review-vampish-and-sharp-as-a-stiletto|title= Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It review – vampish and sharp as a stiletto|website= The Guardian|date= December 2021|accessdate= May 31, 2022}}</ref>

In 2023, Moreno starred in the [[sports comedy]] ''[[80 for Brady]]'' about four elderly women who travel to see [[Tom Brady]] and the [[New England Patriots]] play at the [[Super Bowl LI]]. Moreno co-starred alongside [[Jane Fonda]], [[Lily Tomlin]], and [[Sally Field]], and played Abuelita Toretto, the grandmother of Dom ([[Vin Diesel]]), Jakob ([[John Cena]]), and Mia ([[Jordana Brewster]]) in ''[[Fast X]]'', the tenth installment of the ''[[Fast & Furious]]'' franchise. Moreno played Angelica in ''[[Family Switch]]''.

==Personal life==
From 1954 to 1962, Moreno was in an on-and-off relationship with [[Marlon Brando]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20065165,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123192630/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20065165,00.html |title=After Trying Hollywood, Brando and Suicide, Rita Moreno Has Settled Down|work=People|archive-date=January 23, 2010|date=April 21, 1975}}</ref> She revealed in her memoir that she became pregnant by Brando and he arranged for an abortion. The abortion was botched, she went home and bled as the fetus died inside her and she had to be rushed to the hospital to have it surgically removed. Soon after, Brando fell in love with his co-star on ''[[Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)|Mutiny on the Bounty]]'', yet returned to her; Moreno attempted suicide by overdosing on Brando's sleeping pills.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2013/02/17/rita-moreno-tells-all-about-her-near-fatal-affair-with-marlon-brando-in-memoir/|title=Rita Moreno tells all about her 'near-fatal' affair with Marlon Brando in memoir|last=Cahalan|first=Susannah|authorlink=Susannah Cahalan|date=February 17, 2013|website=New York Post|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128104248/https://nypost.com/2013/02/17/rita-moreno-tells-all-about-her-near-fatal-affair-with-marlon-brando-in-memoir/|archive-date=January 28, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=December 13, 2021}}</ref> After the incident, Brando advised Moreno to go into therapy. They didn't reconnect until 1968 to film ''[[The Night of the Following Day]]''. The two were on good terms after that and remained friends until Brando's death.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chang |first1=Rachel |title=Rita Moreno and Marlon Brando's Tumultuous Eight-Year Relationship |url=https://www.biography.com/actors/rita-moreno-marlon-brando-relationship |website=Biography |date=October 21, 2021 |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref>

In 1965, Moreno married cardiologist and internist Leonard Gordon,<ref name="legacy-latimes">{{cite web |title=Leonard Isadore Gordon Obituary |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/leonard-gordon-obituary?id=10011782 <!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20211026215427/https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/leonard-gordon-obituary?id=10011782 -->|website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=26 October 2021 |date=July 11, 2010}}</ref> who became her manager after he retired from medicine.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brunati|first=Bryan|date=December 11, 2019|title=Who Is Rita Moreno's Husband? Get to Know the 'West Side Story' Star's Late Spouse Leonard Gordon|url=https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/who-is-rita-morenos-husband-get-to-know-leonard-gordon/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008190410/https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/who-is-rita-morenos-husband-get-to-know-leonard-gordon/|archive-date=October 8, 2021|access-date=October 13, 2021|website=Closer Weekly}}</ref><ref name="datebook.sfchronicle.com">{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=G. Allen |title=Review: 'Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It' a feisty documentary that matches its fascinating subject |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-rita-moreno-just-a-girl-who-decided-to-go-for-it-a-feisty-documentary-that-matches-its-fascinating-subject |website=Datebook |publisher=sf chronicle |access-date=26 October 2021 |date=June 15, 2021}}</ref> In 1995, they relocated to [[Berkeley, California]].<ref name="SFGATE-2309622">{{cite web |last1=Guthrie |first1=Julian |title=Rita Moreno reflects on her remarkable career|url=https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Rita-Moreno-reflects-on-her-remarkable-career-2309622.php |website=[[SFGATE]] |access-date=26 October 2021 |date=18 September 2011 |quote="I would call my story an American story," Moreno said, sitting in her Berkeley hills home, where she has lived for the past 16 years.}}</ref> They remained together until his death in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 11, 2010|title=Gordon, Leonard|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/11/MNGORDONLE23.DTL|access-date=July 13, 2010}}</ref> Moreno and Gordon have one daughter, Fernanda Gordon Fisher, and two grandsons.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 11, 2010|title=Leonard Isadore Gordon|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=leonard-isadore-gordon&pid=143953612|access-date=February 10, 2020|via=[[Legacy.com]]|archive-date=March 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306234849/https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=leonard-isadore-gordon&pid=143953612|url-status=live}}</ref> Moreno said she once considered leaving her husband, but did not to avoid breaking up the family.<ref name="beast">{{cite web|last=McElwaine|first=Sandra|title=Rita Moreno, SAG Life Achievement Award Winner, Talks Brando, Elvis And West Side Story|date=January 15, 2014|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/15/rita-moreno-sag-life-achievement-award-winner-talks-brando-elvis-and-west-side-story.html|access-date=June 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607213746/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/15/rita-moreno-sag-life-achievement-award-winner-talks-brando-elvis-and-west-side-story.html|archive-date=June 7, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Acting credits and accolades==
[[File:RitaMorenoPresidentialMedalofFreedom.jpg|alt=Photograph of President George W. Bush stands with Rita Moreno|thumb|Moreno with President Bush in 2004, prior to receiving the Medal of Freedom]]

{{Main|Rita Moreno on screen and stage|List of awards and nominations received by Rita Moreno}}

Moreno has achieved what is called the [[Triple Crown of Acting]], with individual competitive [[Academy Awards|Academy]], [[Emmy]] and [[Tony Awards|Tony]] awards for acting; as well as the [[EGOT]].
In 1962, she won the [[Academy Award|Oscar]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for ''[[West Side Story (1961 film)|West Side Story]]''. When [[Ariana DeBose]] won Best Supporting Actress for the same role in the [[West Side Story (2021 film)|2021 adaptation]] of the film, Moreno and DeBose became the third pair of actors to win separate acting Oscars for portraying the same character. In 1972, she received a [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Children's Album|Best Children's Album]] for ''[[The Electric Company]]''. In 1975, she won the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play]] for ''[[The Ritz (play)|The Ritz]]''. She won her [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1977 and 1978 for her performances in ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' and ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rita Moreno|url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/rita-moreno|access-date=2021-12-10|website=Television Academy|language=en}}</ref>

She has also received a [[Golden Globe Award]], a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], she was Inducted into the [[California Hall of Fame]], 2007<ref>[http://www.californiamuseum.org/Exhibits/Hall-of-Fame/inductees.html Moreno inducted into California Hall of Fame] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110182937/http://www.californiamuseum.org/Exhibits/Hall-of-Fame/inductees.html|date=January 10, 2008 }}, California Museum. Retrieved 2007</ref> In 2013, she received the [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]] which was presented to her by [[Morgan Freeman]].<ref>[http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/07/22/rita-moreno-to-be-honored-with-sag-life-achievement-award-during-the-20th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards-simulcast-live-on-tnt-and-tbs-on-saturday-january-18-2014/193056/ Rita Moreno Honored With SAG Life Achievement Award during the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930115752/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/07/22/rita-moreno-to-be-honored-with-sag-life-achievement-award-during-the-20th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards-simulcast-live-on-tnt-and-tbs-on-saturday-january-18-2014/193056/ |date=September 30, 2015 }}. Retrieved January 19, 2014</ref>

She has won numerous other honors, including various lifetime achievement awards and the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]], America's highest civilian honor. In 2009, President [[Barack Obama]] presented her with the [[National Medal of Arts]].<ref>[http://www.nea.gov/news/news10/Medals.html White House Announces 2009 National Medal of Arts Recipients] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505160005/http://www.nea.gov/news/news10/Medals.html |date=May 5, 2010 }}</ref> In 2015, she was awarded a [[Kennedy Center Honors]] Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award for her contribution to American culture, through performing arts.<ref>Viagas, Robert. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/carole-king-cicely-tyson-rita-moreno-and-more-named-2015-kennedy-center-honorees-353316 "Carole King, Cicely Tyson, Rita Moreno and More Named 2015 Kennedy Center Honorees"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194339/https://www.playbill.com/news/article/carole-king-cicely-tyson-rita-moreno-and-more-named-2015-kennedy-center-honorees-353316 |date=December 27, 2020 }} ''Playbill'', July 15, 2015</ref> She was awarded the [[Peabody Award|Peabody Career Achievement Award]] in 2019. She also received the [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]] in 2013, and was awarded the [[Peabody Award]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-28|title=Rita Moreno to Receive Peabody Award for Career Achievement|url=https://www.thewrap.com/rita-moreno-to-become-pegot-winner-and-receive-peabody-award-for-career-achievement/|access-date=2021-05-08|website=TheWrap|language=en-US|archive-date=May 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510143054/https://www.thewrap.com/rita-moreno-to-become-pegot-winner-and-receive-peabody-award-for-career-achievement/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico|Biography}}
* [[List of Puerto Ricans]]
* [[List of Puerto Ricans in the Academy Awards]]
* [[EGOT|List of people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award]]
* [[List of Puerto Rican Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
* [[History of women in Puerto Rico]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IOBDB name}}
* {{Playbill person}}
* {{EmmyTVLegends name|rita-moreno}}
* [https://soundcloud.https://www.playbill.com/person/rita-moreno-vault-0000107734com/american-theatre-wing/episode-136 Rita Moreno interview], Downstage Center XM Radio interview by the [[American Theatre Wing]], January 2007; March 2007
* [https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_525-bn9x05zb6q Rita Moreno interview] on ''[[PBS NewsHour]]'', October 1, 2013 (0:48:28), at the [[American Archive of Public Broadcasting]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070423055643/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/interactive/video/index.html#m TonyAwards.com Interview with Rita Moreno]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140705072049/http://www.makers.com/rita-moreno Rita Moreno]; video produced by ''[[Makers: Women Who Make America]]''
* [http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002rgt6 Image of the United Civil Rights Committee with actress Rita Moreno at a march against de facto school segregation in Los Angeles, California, 1963]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, [[Charles E. Young Research Library]], [[University of California, Los Angeles]].

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Rita Moreno|Awards for Rita Moreno]]
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestSupportingActress 1961–1980}}
{{EmmyAward DramaGuestActress 1976–2000}}
{{EmmyAward VarietyPerformance 1976–2000}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestSuppActressMotionPicture 1961–1980}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Children's Album}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2010s}}
{{Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{National Medal of Arts recipients 2000s}}
{{Producers Guild Stanley Kramer Award}}
{{Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{TCA Career Achievement Award}}
{{2022 Television Hall of Fame}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActress 1947–1975}}
}}
{{EGOT winners}}
{{Triple Crown of Acting winners}}

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[[Category:1931 births]]
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[[Category:American film actresses]]
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[[Category:American musical theatre actresses]]
[[Category:American sketch comedians]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican film actresses]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican stage actresses]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:People from Humacao, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:Peabody Award winners]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Puerto Rican actresses]]
[[Category:Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:American voice actresses]]
[[Category:Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners]]
[[Category:California Democrats]]
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[[Category:Women in Latin music]]
[[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent]]