Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931 in Humacao, Puerto Rico) is an actress who has achieved fame both in Hollywood and Broadway.

Related Topics:
December 11 - 1931 - Humacao - Puerto Rico - Hollywood - Broadway

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Moreno (born Rosita Dolores Alverío) moved with her mother to New York City at the age of five. When she was eleven years old she lent her voice to Spanish-language versions of American films. She had her first Broadway role by the time she was thirteen, which caught the attention of Hollywood talent scouts. For the next ten years Moreno played roles in movies which she considered degrading.

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Finally, in 1961 she landed the role of "Anita" in Robert Wise's film adaptation of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's Broadway hit West Side Story, which was about the lives of two star-crossed lovers in gang-ridden New York during the late 1950's. Moreno gained fame and an Academy Award as the Best Supporting Actress that year. She was the second person in history to have won an Emmy, Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award and the first and only Hispanic entertainer to have done so.

Related Topics:
1961 - Robert Wise - Leonard Bernstein - Stephen Sondheim - West Side Story - New York - Academy Award - Best Supporting Actress - Emmy, Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award - Hispanic

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Moreno appeared in Singin' in the Rain (1952), The King and I (1956), and Carnal Knowledge in (1971). Her popularity grew even more in the 1970s and 1980s when she appeared on the PBS children's series The Electric Company and the popular family variety series The Muppet Show. She has made guest appearances on series such as The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls, and Miami Vice.

Related Topics:
Singin' in the Rain - 1952 - The King and I - 1956 - Carnal Knowledge - 1971 - 1970s - 1980s - PBS - The Electric Company - The Muppet Show - The Rockford Files - The Love Boat - The Cosby Show - The Golden Girls - Miami Vice

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During the late 1990s, she gained exposure to a new generation of viewers as she played a Catholic nun trained as a psychologist in the popular HBO series, Oz. Moreno has participated in more than 50 productions, combining her television, movie and theatrical works.

Related Topics:
Catholic - Nun - Psychologist - HBO - Oz - Television - Movie - Theatrical

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Moreno's real contribution has been her ability to transcend the discriminatory practices of Hollywood and set a precedent for Hispanic actors to be recognized by talent rather than ethnicity. She became the first Puerto Rican to have been awarded an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and a Grammy. In 2001, Rita received a "Special Recognition Award" from the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In June 2004, she was awarded the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" by President George W. Bush.

Related Topics:
Hispanic - Puerto Rican - Oscar - Emmy - Tony - Grammy - 2001 - Presidential Medal of Freedom - George W. Bush

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On June 18, 1965 Moreno married Lenny Gordon, who remains her husband and manager. They have one daughter, Fernanda (Gordon) Fisher. Moreno publicly revealed some years ago that she had once had an abortion.{{inote| ref:The People's Almanac Presents The Book of Lists: The 90's Edition, David Wallechinsky, Amy Wallace, Little Brown and Company, Boston, 1993, page 37 #12 of 15 well-Known Women Who Have Had Abortions}}

Related Topics:
June 18 - 1965 - Lenny Gordon - Abortion

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