Rita Moreno Biography

Actress, singer. Born Rosa Dolores Alverio on December 11, 1931, in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Throughout her career, Moreno has broken new ground for Latinos in the field of entertainment. She began her career in show business at early age. She appeared on Broadway and in her first film role in her early teens and left school around the same time.

Moreno is perhaps best known for her work in West Side Story (1961), a modern musical inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. A versatile performer, she had to sing, dance, and handle very dramatic scenes during the course of the film. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Anita, the tough, but vulnerable girlfriend to the Sharks' gang leader. Moreno became the first Hispanic actress to receive the honor.

After her success with West Side Story, Moreno took on a range of interesting roles on stage and in films. She performed with the likes of Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, and James Garner. Her career took another interesting turn in the 1970s when joined the cast of The Electric Company, a children's television program. She stayed with the program for six seasons and became known for her trademark catchphrase, "Hey, you guys." She and the rest of the cast won a Grammy in 1972 for the show's soundtrack. Only a few years later, she won a Tony for her work in The Ritz. The accolades kept coming for Moreno. She won two Emmy awards for guest appearances on The Muppet Show (1977) and The Rockford Files (1978). She is one of the few people to ever receive the four major entertainment awards.

Moreno again impressed critics with her turn as a no-nonsense nun on the cable television series Oz from 1997 to 2003. Today she continues to act in feature films, make guest appearances on television, and sing and perform in theatrical productions.

Once romantically linked to Marlon Brando, Moreno has been married to Leonard Gordon since 1965. The couple has a daughter and lives in Berkeley, California.

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