ACTOR · BORN 1931
Rita Moreno
- Born
- 11 December 1931, Humacao, Puerto Rico
- Known for
- West Side Story (1961), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Oz (1997), The King and I (1956)
20 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Rita Moreno (born 11 December 1931) is an actor best known for West Side Story, Singin' in the Rain and Oz.
Rita Moreno over the years
20 Interesting Facts About Rita Moreno
Interesting Facts (3)
- #001
According to Moreno's memoir, one day in the 1950s a handsome stranger with his wife on his arm flirted with her extremely boldly. The man was John F. Kennedy, then a senator, and Moreno has spoken of how surprised she was by the encounter. She also shared in her memoir that Elvis Presley, whom she dated for a time, was not the paragon of masculinity she had expected but was more like a "baby brother," which disappointed her.
- #002
In 2004, Moreno was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-U.S. President George W. Bush. The medal is one of the highest civilian honors in the United States and was awarded in recognition of her contributions to the arts as well as her service to society. The award ranks among the most prestigious achievements of her career.
- #003
On August 10, 2019, Moreno's film work was honored for a full day as part of Turner Classic Movies' Summer Under the Stars programming. The special program brought her important productions from her film career to viewers and was a sign of the respect for her artistic life. The event showed that Moreno's films are still watched with great interest by lovers of classic cinema.
Rita Moreno: portraitImage: Wikimedia Commons · John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Production Story (1)
- #004
Moreno appeared in the pilot episode of the sitcom Empty Nest (1988), which aired as an episode of The Golden Girls (1985). The concept was changed for the final version of the series, however, and Moreno did not appear in that new version. This is an interesting example of how pilots can change in the television world and shows Moreno's involvement in different projects over her career.
Characters & Cast (2)
- #005
In the 19th episode of the first season of The Electric Company (1971), Moreno's repeated shouting of "Hey, you guys!" in one of her sketches won great praise from the producers. The line became so popular that from the show's second season it was used as a slogan in the opening credits. This shows the lasting impact of Moreno's impressive performance and character on viewers.
- #006
Rita Moreno is best known to television audiences for her role as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo in the series Oz (1997). The character she played in this dark and striking drama revealed a different side of her acting talent and won her a broad fan base. The role is regarded as one of the most important television works of her career.
Rita Moreno: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Career & Awards (11)
- #007
At the ceremony unveiling her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Moreno was overcome with emotion, fell onto the star and could not hold back her tears. The moment was one of the most important milestones of her career, and in a later statement she expressed how much it meant to her, saying, "I've been dreaming of this day since I was six years old!" The event became a symbol of her success and perseverance in her artistic life.
- #008
Moreno made history as the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar, for her performance in West Side Story (1961). She was not, however, the first Hispanic entertainer to win the award; that distinction belonged to Puerto Rican actor José Ferrer, for Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). Moreno's achievement was a significant turning point in the representation of the Hispanic community in Hollywood and made her unforgettable in cinema history.
Rita Moreno: Third Story, car sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · John Ferguson, CC BY-SA 3.0 - #009
After Debbie Reynolds's death in December 2016, Moreno became the last surviving member of the main cast of the 1952 film Singin' in the Rain. The film is regarded as one of the most important musicals in cinema history, and Moreno's presence in that cast is proof of her long and successful career. This made her a living legend of the classic Hollywood era.
- #010
By winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony, Moreno became the third person, the second woman and the first person of color to reach EGOT status. This achievement placed her in a select group that also includes figures such as Richard Rodgers, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn, Whoopi Goldberg and John Legend. She also at one point held the record for winning all four EGOT awards in the shortest time, demonstrating her versatility and success in her artistic life.
- #011
In 2015, Moreno was among the artists honored with the Kennedy Center Honors. The award is one of the most prestigious in the United States, given to those who have shown lifetime achievement in the arts and culture. Moreno's receipt of the award was seen as a reflection of her contributions to American culture and the arts.
- #012
On February 25, 2010, Moreno was awarded the National Medal of Arts at a ceremony held at the White House in Washington, D.C. The medal was given for her service and contributions to the arts and was an important honor in her career. The award went down in history as an official recognition of her influence in the art world and her contributions to society.
- #013
Moreno is one of 8 actresses who have won an Academy Award for a performance in a musical. This achievement places her in the same group as names such as Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson and Emma Stone. Her unforgettable performance in West Side Story (1961) earned her the award and made her one of the most important figures in musical cinema.
- #014
In 1977, Moreno became the ninth performer to win the Triple Crown of Acting. The achievement comprised her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for West Side Story (1961), a Tony Award for The Ritz (1975) and two Emmy Awards for her performances in The Muppet Show (1976) and The Rockford Files (1974). The triple crown is regarded as proof of her superior talent in film, theater and television alike.
- #015
As of 2022, Moreno had appeared in three films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The King and I (1956), West Side Story (1961) and West Side Story (2021). The second of these films won the Oscar in the Best Picture category. This shows that Moreno took part in important productions at different stages of her career and appeared in films nominated for cinema's most prestigious award.
- #016
Rita Moreno is one of 14 women who have won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for a film that also won Best Picture. She achieved this with West Side Story (1961), placing her on a list that includes legendary names such as Hattie McDaniel, Teresa Wright, Celeste Holm, Mercedes McCambridge, Donna Reed, Eva Marie Saint, Meryl Streep and Juliette Binoche. This achievement is an indication of both her acting talent and the film's overall success.
- #017
Rita Moreno is one of 27 women who have received an Academy Award nomination for a performance in a musical. She earned the nomination for her performance in West Side Story (1961), placing her on a list that includes names such as Bessie Love, Grace Moore, Jean Hagen, Marjorie Rambeau, Dorothy Dandridge, Deborah Kerr, Gladys Cooper, Julie Andrews and Barbra Streisand. The nomination is proof of her impressive presence in musical cinema.
Life & Family (3)
- #018
When Moreno was only nine years old, she began dancing professionally at a nightclub in Greenwich Village under the uncle of her dance teacher, Rita Hayworth. This professional career that began at such an early age revealed her extraordinary talent and her passion for the stage. The experience laid the foundation for the successes she would later achieve and drew her into stage life at a young age.
Rita Moreno: Rita, behind the scenesImage: Wikimedia Commons · 産業経済新聞社（Sankei Shinbun Co., Ltd.）, Public domain - #019
Rita Moreno names Orson Welles's masterpiece Citizen Kane (1941) as her all-time favorite film. The choice reflects her deep interest in cinema and her respect for classic filmmaking. Citizen Kane is regarded as one of the most important works in film history, and Moreno's selection of it is an indication of her artistic taste.
- #020
While filming the final scene of the 1961 film West Side Story, in which Anita is harassed and nearly raped by members of the New York street gang the Jets, Moreno was reminded of similar real-life experiences from her childhood and broke down in tears. When she collapsed during the scene, the other actors immediately stopped and comforted her, helping her complete it. This sequence forms a critical plot element of the film and is essential to the story's progression. Moreno's emotional moment holds an important place in cinema history as a sign of her acting ability and the depth she brought to the character.
Related pages
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales — Rita Moreno comes up in the facts on that page
- Jane the Virgin — Rita Moreno comes up in the facts on that page
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