Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno was born on December 11, 1931, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, however, she spent her teenage years growing up in New York. At the age of 13, Moreno scored her first Broadway role in the 1945 production of Skydrift, which caught the attention of Hollywood talent scouts. In the 1950s, Moreno appeared in supporting roles in popular films such as 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain and 1956’s The King and I. In 1961, Moreno had her breakout role in West Side Story, which earned her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She continued to star in other successful movies such as 1969’s Popi, 1998’s Slums of Beverly Hills and Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story remake.

Aside from her film career, Moreno also starred on The Muppet Show in 1977 and The Rockford Files in 1978, which earned her Emmy Awards. She continued to star on television shows such as Oz from 1997 to 2003, Jane the Virgin from 2015 to 2019 and Netflix’s One Day at a Time remake from 2017 to 2020.

Moreno has also had an illustrious theater career. She earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in the 1975 show The Ritz.

After an on-and-off relationship with Marlon Brando from 1954 to 1962, Moreno married cardiologist Leonard Gordon in 1965. They welcomed daughter Fernanda in 1967. The couple remained together until his death in 2010.