Hispanic American Actress: Rita Moreno

Background 

Rita Moreno was born Rosita Dolores Alverío in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on December 11, 1931. She came to America to join the world of film and acting. She quickly became a popular hit with her looks and performance.

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Sexism

 “Life Magazine” from march of 1954 put an article on Rita Moreno title “Rita Moreno: An Actress's Catalogue of Sex and Innocence”. During this time she was one of the women who were put as a sex symbol out to the public, to be fantasized and stereotyped. There was a lack of material for her to play roles in, therefore leaving her with roles that were degrading to her image. She firmly believes that women do not have to be subjected to such things, but it was very hard for her back in that day to get any opinions out. She wanted to go out and perform and do acting, but she fell into the net of being overly sexualized and not good for much else according to public opinion of the time.

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Accomplishments

Among the better pictures she appeared in were the classic Singin' in the Rain (1952), West Side Story, and The King and I (1956).

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Moreno won a 1972 Grammy Award for her contribution to "The Electric Company's soundtrack album, following it up three years later with a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for "The Ritz". She then won Emmy Awards for both The Muppet Show (1976) and The Rockford Files (1974).

She has continued to work steadily on screen and on stage, solidifying her reputation as a national treasure, a status that was officially ratified with the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in June 2004.

Rita Moreno has won many awards such as a Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and a Tony award among others. She was part of the very first to accomplish these awards.

Further Information

Some Films

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/?ref_=nm_knf_i1

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066651/?ref_=nm_knf_i2

Video Clips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaOy0eb0Tbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSYow4Nynzs

Page researched and written by Christine Murphy