Was Rita Moreno in the original West Side Story?

Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rico-born American actress, dancer, and singer, best known for her notable contribution to the entertainment industry.

Rita Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano on December 11, 1931, in Humacao, Puerto Rico to parents, Rosa María Marcano( a seamstress) and Francisco José “Paco” Alverío (a farmer).

Rita Moreno and her mother moved to New York City in 1936. She has a younger brother named Francisco. She spent her teenage years living in the villages of Valley Stream on Long Island, part of the town of Hempstead bordering New York City.

Rita Moreno is among the few performers to have won the four major annual American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. She won the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour and had also been awarded a Kennedy Center Honor for her contribution to American culture through performing arts in 2015.

Rita Moreno is listed as one of 24 people who have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, with individual competitive Academy, Emmy and Tony awards for acting. In 2010, she was was awarded the Peabody Career Achievement Award in 2019.

Was Rita Moreno in the original West Side Story?

Yes, Rita Moreno was in the 1961 film version of the iconic musical “West Side Story.” In 1961, she became the first, and still only, Hispanic woman to win an acting Academy Award, for her portrayal of Anita in “West Side Story.”