West side story rita moreno

Rita Moreno West side story (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Her career has spanned over 70 years; among her notable acting work are supporting roles in the musical films Singin' in the Rain (1952), The King and I (1956) and West Side Story (1961), as well as a 1971 to 1977 stint on the children's television series The Electric Company, and a supporting role as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo on the 1997 to 2003 HBO series Oz. Her other notable films include Popi (1969), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Four Seasons (1981), I Like It Like That (1994) and the cult film Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). She voiced the titular role of Carmen Sandiego in Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? from 1994 to 1999. For theater, she is best known for her role as Googie Gomez in The Ritz.

 West side story rita moreno

The 86-year-old, who won an Oscar for playing Anita in the 1961 film, will take up a role newly created for her in Steven Spielberg's adaptation. Moreno will also serve as an executive producer on the film, set to begin shooting next summer. "Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself revisiting this seminal work," the actress told Deadline.

"And to be asked by Steven Spielberg to participate is simply thrilling! Then to work together with the brilliant playwright, Tony Kushner - what a glorious stew! I am tingling!" The actress, originally from Puerto Rico, is one of the few people to have gained EGOT status - meaning she has been awarded with an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. She'll play the role of Valentina, which is based on the original character Doc - the owner of the corner store in which lead character Tony works.

West Side Story will see Oscar-winning director Spielberg turn his hand to a musical for the first time in his career. However, his take on the musical about rival street gangs in '50s New York is not expected to be an exact retelling of the 1961 film. "From our earliest discussions, we wanted to include Rita Moreno in our production," Spielberg said. "Her Anita is one of the greatest musical performances ever filmed, and a personal favourite of mine.

Rita Moreno Photos: Anita

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After winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing the role of Anita in 1961’s West Side Story, EGOT winner Rita Moreno will return to the next big-screen adaptation of the Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim lyric musical that Oscar winner Steven Spielberg is directing. In addition, Moreno will also be an executive producer of the film. In the new West Side Story, Moreno will be playing Valentina, a reconceived and expanded version of the character of Doc, the owner of the corner store in which Tony works. Filming for West Side Story is set to begin in the summer of 2019.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself revisiting this seminal work,” says Moreno. “And to be asked by Steven Spielberg to participate is simply thrilling!  Then to work together with the brilliant playwright, Tony Kushner – what a glorious stew! I am tingling!”

In the original movie, Moreno’s Anita Palacio is the girlfriend of Bernardo who is the head of the Puerto Rican gang the Sharks. Bernardo’s younger sister Maria, who is also a best friend of Anita, falls for Tony, who is the co-founder of white gang the Jets. They, of course, are squaring off with a big fight with the Sharks. Moreno’s Anita sings such signature tunes from the musical as “America” and “Tonight Quintet.”

In addition to her EGOT awards, Moreno has won various lifetime achievement awards – including the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and a Kennedy Center Honor – as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Recently, Moreno has appeared in guest-starring roles on TV series such as Getting On, Jane The Virgin, and Grace and Frankie.