![]() ![]() ![]() In the 1971 Mike Nichols-directed drama "Carnal Knowledge," Moreno played a hooker, starring opposite Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel as longtime friends faced with sexual and emotional issues concerning their relationships with various women. "West Side Story" won several other Oscars that year as well, including Best Picture.Despite her breakout performance and Oscar win, it took a decade for Hollywood to cast Moreno in a role that truly showcased her depth and versatility as an actress. The role earned Moreno a well-deserved Academy Award in 1962 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. As Anita, confidante of the film's heroine Maria (Natalie Wood) and the equivalent of the Nurse in Shakespeare's play, Moreno stole every scene she was in, especially with her rendition of the song-and-dance number "America." She also delivered a moving performance in a scene in which rival gang the Jets assaults Anita, which was considered the film's climax. Moreno stepped in for the role of Anita - originally played on Broadway by Chita Rivera - the Puerto Rican girlfriend of the Sharks' leader Bernardo (George Chakiris). The 1961 film, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, wanted to cast actors who looked believable as teenagers. When Moreno was not cast in vampy roles, she played exotic characters, from an Indian exchange student on the television series "Father Knows Best" (CBS, 1954-55 NBC, 1955-58 CBS, 1958-1960), to the young Burmese wife Tuptim in the 1956 musical "The King and I." Moreno admitted she took on the roles, no matter how stereotypical and degrading they were, simply because she wanted to remain in show business.Moreno finally broke out of the Hollywood mold when she was cast in the feature film adaptation of "West Side Story." The groundbreaking Broadway musical debuted in 1957 and retold William Shakespeare's classic "Romeo & Juliet" in an urban New York setting with rival street gangs the Jets and the Sharks. This led to more musical film appearances for the up-and-coming star, including supporting parts in "The Toast of New Orleans" (1950), "Pagan Love Song" (1950), and a featured role as silent screen vamp Zelda Zanners in the what most consider the greatest musical of all time, "Singin' in the Rain."In March 1954, Moreno graced the cover of LIFE magazine, posing in a seductive, over-the-left-shoulder profile along with the headline "Rita Moreno: An Actresses' Catalog of Sex and Innocence." Even though the article pushed Moreno's career to the forefront of the entertainment industry, it also glorified the Hollywood stereotype of Hispanic actresses as "sexpots." During a Miami Herald interview later on in her career, Moreno revealed she felt humiliated whenever she was offered a role as a "Conchita" or "Lolita" in Western films, where she was often asked to act barefoot. Using the stage name Rosita Moreno, the young actress landed her first feature film role in the drama "So Young So Bad" (1950). Just a few days shy of her 14th birthday, Moreno (who had adopted her stepfather's surname) made her Broadway debut in the 1945 Belasco Theatre production of "Skydrift," opposite Arthur Keegan and Eli Wallach. At 11, the future star earned money by dubbing Spanish-language versions of American films. Moreno began her professional career before she reached her teen years. In 1937, she moved to Spanish Harlem in New York City with her mother, Rosa Maria, and shared a tiny apartment with their relatives. 11, 1931 in Humacao, Puerto Rico to a farmer and a seamstress. The role earned Moreno an Academy Award in 1962, paving the way for Hispanic actors to land sizeable and profound roles, while also cementing the hardworking and multi-talented star's place as a shining legend of the stage and screen.Rosita Dolores Alverio was born on Dec. Moreno challenged the system with her show-stopping performance in "West Side Story" (1961), one of the most loved film musicals of all time. She also fell victim to blatant stereotyping in show business, often landing roles as a sexpot or foreigner in film and on television. From her early years in theater to the height of her film stardom, Moreno proved she was a force to be reckoned with, delivering scene-stealing performances in timeless classics such as "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), "The King and I" (1956), and "Carnal Knowledge" (1971). A much-loved star of the stage and screen, Rita Moreno achieved a rare feat in the entertainment industry by winning an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy Award throughout her illustrious career. ![]()
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