![]() ![]() "That's what they were trying to fix and ameliorate, and I think they have done an incredible job," Moreno shared, describing how she acted as a mentor to the Sharks on set. As she explained to Vanity Fair, the 1961 film "had a lot of things that were wrong with it, aside from the fact that it had a lot of things that were very right," and the remake has worked to include far more Puerto Rican actors and dancers than the original. Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican actress known for her role as Anita in 'West Side Story.' The PEGOT. ![]() Moreno's involvement as an executive producer is just one of the ways Spielberg and Kushner have tried to update their new version of the classic musical. Her husband died in 2010 at the age of 90. "We created an original role for her, and we feel beyond fortunate that Rita will bring her extraordinary gifts as an actress, as well as her deep understanding of 'West Side Story' to this production as an executive producer," he continued. "From our earliest discussions, we wanted to include Rita Moreno in our production," Spielberg told Deadline, calling her Anita "one of the greatest musical performances ever filmed," as well as a "personal favorite" of his. In 2018, per People, Moreno wore the same dress from that historic night, 56 years prior, in order to present at the Oscars. It wasn't just a significant moment for Moreno personally: as History observed, she was the first Hispanic woman to ever win an Academy Award. "I couldn't think of anything to say," Moreno later admitted to Entertainment Weekly. Good Lord! I leave you with that," the clearly thrilled performer gushed, before leaving the stage. When Rock Hudson actually did announce that she had won, Moreno's overwhelmed acceptance speech was one of the shortest in Oscars history. "I thought if there's any chance that my name will be called, I sure as heck want to be there," Moreno quipped. But Moreno had taken a plane from the Philippines for the occasion, so she sat with Chakiris, and the pair giggled together "like brother and sister" during the ceremony. When their hired car brought Chakiris around to her home, Moreno told him that she had been "practicing her loser's speech" in preparation. Judy Garland was also nominated in the best supporting actress category for her role in "Judgment at Nuremburg," and Moreno was "so sure" that the older Hollywood icon would win. "That's why there are Puerto Ricans who are white as milk and the color of charcoal." She argued, "We are everybody," adding that "the makeup man didn't know quite what to say to me." Puerto Rico was colonized by the French, the Dutch, and the Spanish," she explained. The actor wasn't going to be silenced by him, however. It's so d**n dark.' And he actually said to me, 'What are you, a racist?'" Moreno recalled. "One day, I remember saying to the makeup man, 'I hate this makeup. I can't do this to my people." Luckily, lyricist Stephen Sondheim altered the line for her to, "Puerto Rico, my heart's devotion, let it sink back in the ocean."Īnother issue Moreno had with the movie? The "extremely dark makeup" that all the Puerto Rican Sharks had to use, as she informed The Hollywood Reporter. Keep reading for everything there is to know about Leonard Gordon, the late husband of award-winning actress Rita Moreno.But Moreno still objected to some aspects of the fan-favorite movie musical, revealing that she was "this close" to quitting over her original line in "America," which was reportedly, "Puerto Rico, you ugly island, island of tropic diseases." Despite genuinely wanting the role, she recalled thinking to NPR, "Oh my God, I can't sing that!. "I worry and stress a lot less now because I'm so grateful. "I'm still active and still working," she told PEOPLE in June 2021. These days, though, Moreno is happier than she's ever been. 30 (UPI) - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award-winning. File Photo by Steven Ferdman/UPI License Photo Jan. it's a silent pact that people very often make." 1/4 Rita Moreno discusses her marriage to Lenny Gordon in a new documentary. "I didn't know how to write a check for the longest time. "I come from an era where you were supposed to obey the man in the family," she added of her marriage. Since his passing, Moreno has said she has no interest in marrying again, even once telling PEOPLE that she would rather " eat glass" than walk down the aisle. I don't have to answer to anybody anymore,' " she said in the film, per USA Today. In the documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, Moreno shared that Gordon was often a "controller" and that she hid some of the truths about her marriage to keep up appearances. While their decades-long marriage appeared to be a happy one from the outside, the West Side Story star has opened up about her late husband and the ups and downs they faced in the years since his death. ![]()
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