Rita Dolores Moreno
December 11, 1931
Actress, Humatarian, Activist, Icon
Born Rosa Dolores Alverio on December 11, 1931, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Rita Moreno is best known as Anita in West Side Story in 1961, a role that earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first Latina actress to win the honor. Moreno also appeared on the children’s shows Sesame Street and The Electric Company, and is one of only 11 people to have received the four major entertainment honors—Emmy, Oscar, Tony and Grammy awards. Born Rosa Dolores Alverio on December 11, 1931, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Rita Moreno has broken new ground for Latinos in the field of entertainment throughout her career. Moreno 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 had an eight-year-long affair with actor Marlon Brando. Allegedly in an interview with Good Day LA, Moreno stated that Elvis Presley was not a good lover. They dated for quite some time, but whenever the opportunity presented itself to take the relationship to another level, Presley backed off. Moreno would later confirm that she only dated Presley to make Brando jealous.
Moreno has also had relationships with actors Anthony Quinn and Dennis Hopper, and theater critic Kenneth Tynan. She claims that Tynan stalked her.
On June 18, 1965, Moreno married Leonard Gordon, a cardiologist who was also her manager. He died at the age of 90 on June 30, 2010. They have one daughter, Fernanda Luisa Fisher,[11] and two grandsons, Justin and Cameron Fisher.
A summarized list of Rita Moreno’s awards and recognition are the following:
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (West Side Story), 1961 First Hispanic to receive the award.
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress (West Side Story), 1961
Joseph Jefferson Award: Best Chicago Theatre Actress, 1968
GRAMMY AWARD for Best Album for CHILDREN (The Electric Company Album), 1972
TONY AWARD FOR BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY (The Ritz), 1975
EMMY AWARD for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, 1977
EMMY AWARD for Outstanding Guest Actress – Drama Series (for The Rockford Files), 1978
SARAH SIDDONS AWARD for her portrayal of Olive Madison in the female version of The Odd Couple, 1985
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LIVING LEGENDS AWARD, April 2000
THE HISPANIC ORGANIZATION OF LATIN ACTRESSES (HOLA) RENAMED THEIR AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HER HONOR (KNOWN AS THE HOLA RITA MORENO AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE SINCE 2000)
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD FROM THE INTERNATIONAL LATIN MUSIC HALL OF FAME, 2001
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM from President George W. Bush, June 2004
A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME.
INDUCTED INTO THE CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME, 2007
NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS by President Barack Obama, 2009
HISPANIC ORGANIZATION OF LATIN ACTRESSES (HOLA) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, 2010
LATIN GRAMMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, 2012
SCREEN ACTORS GUILD LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, 2013 (PRESENTED ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2014)
KENNEDY CENTER HONORS LIFETIME ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, 2015
HONORARY DOCTORATE OF MUSIC, AWARDED BY THE BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC, MAY 7, 2016 and many more.