Rita Moreno

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Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno, January 2008
Born Rosita Dolores Alverío
December 11, 1931 (1931-12-11) (age 76)
Humacao, Puerto Rico
Spouse(s) Leonard Gordon (1965-present)

Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and multiple award-winning actress. She is the first female and only Puerto Rican actress to have won an Emmy-, Grammy-, Oscar- and Tony-Award.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Moreno (born Rosita Dolores Alverío in Humacao, Puerto Rico) moved with her mother to New York City at the age of five. When she was 11 years old, she lent her voice to Spanish-language versions of American films. She had her first Broadway role (Angelina in Skydrift) by the time she was 13, which caught the attention of Hollywood talent scouts. She played a small role in Singin' in the Rain as a silent screen vamp but disliked most of her other work during this period.[2]

[edit] West Side Story

In 1961, Moreno landed the role of "Anita" in Robert Wise's film adaptation of Leonard Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim's groundbreaking Broadway musical, West Side Story. Moreno gained fame and an Academy Award as the Best Supporting Actress for that role.[3]

Moreno went on to be the first actress, and the first Hispanic, to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar (as mentioned), and a Tony. In 1985, she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre.[4]

[edit] Other roles

Moreno appeared in Singin' in the Rain (1952), The King and I (1956), and Carnal Knowledge in (1971). In the 1970s, she appeared on the PBS children's series The Electric Company notably as Millie the Helper (in fact it was Rita who screamed the show's opening line, "HEY, YOU GUYS!"); the often naughty little girl, Pandora; and as "Otto", the very short-tempered director. Moreno also appeared in the family variety series The Muppet Show. She made guest appearances on television series such as The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, The Cosby Show, George Lopez, The Golden Girls, and Miami Vice. She was also a regular on the short-lived sitcom version of Nine to Five (based on the hit film) during the early 1980s.[2]

On June 18, 1965, Moreno married Lenny Gordon, who remains her husband and manager. They have one daughter, Fernanda (Gordon) Fisher.[5]

[edit] Broadway and television

Moreno's Broadway credits include The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Gantry, The Ritz, for which she won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress, and the female version of The Odd Couple.[2]

In 1993 she was invited to perform at President Bill Clinton's inauguration and later that month was asked to perform at the White House.[1] During the mid 1990s, Moreno provided the voice of Carmen Sandiego on the hit animated FOX show Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? In the late 1990s, she gained exposure to a new generation of viewers, as she played Sister Pete, a 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. She made a guest appearance on The Nanny as Coach Stone, Maggie's (Nicholle Tom) tyrannical gym teacher, whom Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) also remembered from her school as Ms. Wickavich.[6]

[edit] Later years

Moreno continues to be active on stage and screen. In 2006, she portrayed Amanda Wingfield in the Berkeley Repertory Theater's revival of The Glass Menagerie. She was seen on Law and Order: Criminal Intent as the dying mother of Detective Goren. She is a regular on the TV series Cane.[7]

[edit] Awards

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004

Among Moreno's awards and recognitions are the following:

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Film

Year Film Role Other notes
1950 So Young So Bad Dolores Guererro as Rosita Moreno
The Toast of New Orleans Tina
Pagan Love Song Terru
1952 The Ring Lucy Gomez
Singin' in the Rain Zelda Zanders
The Fabulous Señorita Manuela Rodríguez
Cattle Town Queli
1953 Fort Vengeance Bridget Fitzgibbon
Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation Soubrette uncredited
Latin Lovers Christina
El Alaméin Jara
1954 Jivaro Maroa
The Yellow Tomahawk Honey Bear
Garden of Evil Cantina Singer
1955 Untamed Julia
Seven Cities of Gold Ula
1956 The Lieutenant Wore Skirts Sandra Roberts
The King and I Tuptim
The Vagabond King Huguette
1957 The Deerslayer Hetty Hutter
1960 This Rebel Breed Lola Montalvo
1961 West Side Story Anita Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress; Golden Globe
Summer and Smoke Rosa Zacharias
1963 Cry of Battle Sisa
1968 The Night of the Following Day Vi
1969 Popi Lupe
Marlowe Dolores Gonzáles
1971 Carnal Knowledge Louise
1976 The Ritz Googie Gomez Nominated - BAFTA Award; Nominated - Golden Globe
1977 Voodoo Passion
1978 The Boss' Son Esther Rose
1980 Happy Birthday, Gemini Lucille Pompi
1981 The Four Seasons Claudia Zimmer
1991 Age Isn't Everything Rita
1993 Italian Movie Isabella
1994 I Like It Like That Rosaria Linares
1995 Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business Herself documentary
Angus Madame Rulenska
1998 Slums of Beverly Hills Belle Abromowitz Nominated - ALMA Award
1999 Carlo's Wake Angela Torello
The Puerto Ricans: Our American Story Herself documentary
2000 Blue Moon Maggie
2001 Piñero Miguel's Mother
2003 Casa de los Babys Señora Muñoz
Beyond Borders: John Sayles in Mexico Herself documentary
2004 King of the Corner Inez
2006 Play It By Ear Ruth

[edit] Television

Year Film Role Other notes
1971 – 1977 The Electric Company Carmela
Otto The Director
Pandora the Little Girl, Millie the Helper		 780 episodes
1974 Dominic's Dream Anita Bente
Out to Lunch Various Nominated - Emmy Award
1976 The Muppet Show Herself Episode #1.5 - Emmy Award
1978 The Rockford Files Rita Capkovic 3 episodes
Emmy Award - For episode "The Paper Palace"
Nominated - Emmy Award - For episode "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern are Dead".
1979 Anatomy of a Seduction Nina
1981 Evita Perón Renata Riguel
1982 – 1983 9 to 5 Violet Newstead Nominated - Emmy Award; Nominated - Golden Globe
1982 Working Waitress
Portrait of a Showgirl Rosella DeLeon Nominated - Emmy Award
1989 – 1990 B.L. Stryker Kimberly Baskin 2 episodes
1994 – 1998 Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? Carmen Sandiego voice
1994 – 1995 The Cosby Mysteries Angie Corea 2 episodes
1995 The Wharf Rat Mom
1997 – 2003 Oz Sister Peter Marie Reimondo 44 episodes
ALMA Award - 1998, 1999, 2002
Nominated - ALMA Award - 2000, 2001
1998 The Spree Irma Kelly
1999 Resurrection Mimi
2004 Copshop Mary Alice
2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mildred Quintana Episode - "Night"
Law & Order: Trial by Jury Mildred Quintana Episode - "Day"
2006 – 2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Frances Goren 3 episodes: "Endgame"
"The War at Home"
"Brother's Keeper"
2007 The George Lopez Show Luisa Diaz Episode - "George Testi-Lies for Benny"
Ugly Betty Aunt Mirta Episode - "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara"
Cane Amalia Duque 13 episodes

[edit] See also

Puerto Rico Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Speakers on healthcare
  2. ^ a b c Rita Moreno at the Internet Movie Database
  3. ^ Rita Moreno
  4. ^ Rita Moreno
  5. ^ Rita Moreno
  6. ^ All American Speakers
  7. ^ Rita Moreno: 1931 — : Actress, Singer, Dancer - Demonstrated Versatile Talents
  8. ^ Moreno inducted into California Hall of Fame, California Museum, Accessed 2007

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Awards
Preceded by
Janet Leigh
for Psycho		 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
1962
for West Side Story		 Succeeded by
Angela Lansbury
for The Manchurian Candidate
v • d • e
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

Rita Moreno (1961) · Patty Duke (1962) · Margaret Rutherford (1963) · Lila Kedrova (1964) · Shelley Winters (1965) · Sandy Dennis (1966) · Estelle Parsons (1967) · Ruth Gordon (1968) · Goldie Hawn (1969) · Helen Hayes (1970) · Cloris Leachman (1971) · Eileen Heckart (1972) · Tatum O'Neal (1973) · Ingrid Bergman (1974) · Lee Grant (1975) · Beatrice Straight (1976) · Vanessa Redgrave (1977) · Maggie Smith (1978) · Meryl Streep (1979) · Mary Steenburgen (1980)

Complete list · (1928–1940) · (1941–1960) · (1961–1980) · (1981–2000) · (2001-present)
v • d • e
Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program

Harvey Korman / Brenda Vaccaro (1974) · Jack Albertson / Cloris Leachman (1975) · Chevy Chase / Vicki Lawrence (1976) · Tim Conway / Rita Moreno (1977) · Tim Conway / Gilda Radner (1978) · George Hearn (1985) · Whitney Houston (1986) · Robin Williams (1987) · Robin Williams (1988) · Linda Ronstadt (1989) · Tracey Ullman (1990) · Billy Crystal (1991) · Billy Crystal (1992) · Dana Carvey (1993) · Tracey Ullman (1994) · Barbra Streisand (1995) · Tony Bennett (1996) · Bette Midler (1997) · Billy Crystal (1998) · John Leguizamo (1999) · Eddie Izzard (2000)
v • d • e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series

Zohra Lampert (1974) · Fionnuala Flanagan (1976) · Beulah Bondi (1977) · Rita Moreno (1978) · Alfre Woodard (1987) · Shirley Knight (1988) · Kay Lenz (1989) · Viveca Lindfors (1990) · Peggy McCay (1991) · Elaine Stritch (1993) · Faye Dunaway (1994) · Shirley Knight (1995) · Amanda Plummer (1996) · Dianne Wiest (1997) · Cloris Leachman (1998) · Debra Monk (1999) · Beah Richards (2000)
v • d • e
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Patricia Neal (1947) · Shirley Booth (1949) · Maureen Stapleton (1951) · Marian Winters (1952) · Beatrice Straight (1953) · Jo Van Fleet (1954) · Patricia Jessel (1955) · Una Merkel (1956) · Peggy Cass (1957) · Anne Bancroft (1958) · Julie Newmar (1959) · Anne Revere (1960) · Colleen Dewhurst (1961) · Elizabeth Ashley (1962) · Sandy Dennis (1963) · Barbara Loden (1964) · Alice Ghostley (1965) · Zoe Caldwell (1966) · Marian Seldes (1967) · Zena Walker (1968) · Jane Alexander (1969) · Blythe Danner (1970) · Rae Allen (1971) · Elizabeth Wilson (1972) · Leora Dana (1973) · Frances Sternhagen (1974) · Rita Moreno (1975)