Rita Moreno facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rita Moreno
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![]() Rita Moreno (1963)
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Born |
Rosa Dolores Alverío
December 11, 1931 Humacao, Puerto Rico
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Occupation | Actress, singer, dancer |
Years active | 1950–present |
Spouse(s) | Leonard Gordon (1965-2010; his death; 1 child) |

Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican dancer, singer and actress. She is one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Tony Award. In 2014 she was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award for lifetime achievement. She has won numerous other awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.
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.
She is also widely known for the role of the matriarch Lydia Margarita del Carmen Inclán Maribona Leyte-Vidal de Riera in the 2017 remake of One Day at a Time.
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Personal life
Moreno had an eight-year-long affair with actor Marlon Brando when he was young. She also dated Elvis Presley.
On June 18, 1965, Moreno married Leonard Gordon. Gordon was a cardiologist and also her manager. He died on June 30, 2010.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1950 | So Young, So Bad | Dolores Guererro | Credited as Rosita Moreno |
1950 | The Toast of New Orleans | Tina | |
1950 | Pagan Love Song | Terru | |
1952 | The Ring | Lucy Gomez | |
1952 | Singin' in the Rain | Zelda Zanders | |
1952 | The Fabulous Senorita | Manuela Rodríguez | |
1952 | Cattle Town | Queli | |
1953 | Fort Vengeance | Bridget Fitzgibbon | |
1953 | Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation | Soubrette | Uncredited |
1953 | Latin Lovers | Christina | |
1953 | El Alamein | Jara | |
1954 | Jivaro | Maria | |
1954 | The Yellow Tomahawk | Honey Bear | |
1954 | Garden of Evil | Cantina Singer | |
1955 | Untamed | Julia | |
1955 | Seven Cities of Gold | Ula | |
1956 | The Lieutenant Wore Skirts | Sandra Roberts | |
1956 | The King and I | Tuptim | |
1956 | The Vagabond King | Huguette | |
1957 | The Deerslayer | Hetty Hutter | |
1960 | This Rebel Breed | Lola Montalvo | |
1961 | West Side Story | Anita |
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1961 | Summer and Smoke | Rosa Zacharias | |
1963 | Cry of Battle | Sisa | |
1968 | The Night of the Following Day | Vi | |
1969 | Popi | Lupe | |
1969 | Marlowe | Dolores Gonzáles | |
1971 | Carnal Knowledge | Louise | |
1976 | The Ritz | Googie Gomez |
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1977 | Voodoo Passion | ||
1978 | The Boss' Son | Esther Rose | |
1980 | Happy Birthday, Gemini | Lucille | |
1981 | The Four Seasons | Claudia Zimmer | |
1991 | Age Isn't Everything | Rita | |
1993 | Italian Movie | Isabella | |
1994 | I Like It Like That | Rosaria Linares | |
1995 | Carmen Miranda: Bananas is My Business | Herself | Documentary |
1995 | Angus | Madame Rulenska | |
1998 | Slums of Beverly Hills | Belle Abromowitz | Nominated—ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film in a Crossover Role |
1999 | Carlo's Wake | Angela Torello | |
1999 | The Puerto Ricans: Our American Story | Herself | Documentary |
2000 | Blue Moon | Maggie | |
2001 | Piñero | Miguel's Mother | |
2003 | Casa de los Babys | Señora Muñoz | |
2003 | Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico | Dona Dolores and Woman No. 3 (voice) | |
2003 | Beyond Borders: John Sayles in Mexico | Herself | Documentary |
2004 | King of the Corner | Inez | |
2006 | Play It By Ear | Ruth | |
2014 | Rio 2 | Mimi (voice) | |
2014 | Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks | Ida Barks | |
2020 | West Side Story | Valentina | Post-production; also executive producer |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1958 | Father Knows Best | Chanthini | Episode: "Fair Exchange" (November 24, 1958) |
1960 | Bourbon Street Beat | Manuela Ruiz | Episode: "Suitable for Framing" (May 16, 1960) |
1963 | Burke's Law | Margaret Cowls | Episode: "Who Killed Julian Buck?" (October 18, 1963) |
1971–1977 | The Electric Company | Carmela Otto The Director Pandora the Little Girl, Millie the Helper |
Cast member |
1974 | Dominic's Dream | Anita Bente | |
1974 | Out to Lunch | Various | Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music |
1975 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | Herself | Episode #1399 |
1976 | The Muppet Show | Herself |
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1978 | The Rockford Files | Rita Capkovic |
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1979 | Anatomy of a Seduction | Nina | TV movie |
1979 | The Muppets Go Hollywood | Herself/Host | Special |
1981 | Evita Perón | Renata Riguel | TV movie |
1982–1983 | 9 to 5 | Violet Newstead |
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1982 | Working | Waitress | |
1982 | Portrait of a Showgirl | Rosella DeLeon | Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie |
1986 | The Golden Girls | Renee | Episode: "Empty Nests" |
1987 | The Cosby Show | Mrs. Granger | Episode: "You Only Hurt the One You Love" |
1989 | Miami Vice | Congresswoman Madelyn Woods | Episode: "Miami Squeeze" |
1989–1990 | B.L. Stryker | Kimberly Baskin | 2 episodes |
1994 | The Nanny | Miss Wickervich/Mrs. Stone | Episode: "The Gym Teacher" |
1994–1998 | Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? | Carmen Sandiego (voice) | Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (1995, 1996, 1997) |
1994–1995 | The Cosby Mysteries | Angie Corea | 16 episodes |
1995 | The Wharf Rat | Mom | |
1995 | The Magic School Bus | Dr. Camrina Skeledon (voice) | Episode: "The Busasaurus" |
1997–2003 | Oz | Sister Peter Marie Reimondo |
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1998 | The Spree | Irma Kelly | |
1999 | Resurrection | Mimi | |
2003 | The Guardian | Caroline Novak | Guest stars as Louisa Olsen's (Wendy Moniz) mother |
2004 | Copshop | Mary Alice | |
2005 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mildred Quintana | Episode: "Night" |
2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Mildred Quintana | Episode: "Day" |
2006–2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Frances Goren | 3 episodes: "Endgame"; "The War at Home" and "Brother's Keeper" |
2007 | George Lopez | Luisa Diaz | Episode: "George Testi-Lies for Benny" |
2007 | Ugly Betty | Aunt Mirta | Episode: "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" |
2007 | Cane | Amalia Duque | 13 episodes |
2010 | In Plain Sight | Rita Ramirez | Episode: "Coma Chameleon" |
2011 | Special Agent Oso | Abuela (voice) | Episode: "For Tamales with Love/Pinata Royale" |
2011–2013 | Happily Divorced | Dori Newman | |
2013 | Welcome to the Family | Lita | Episode: "Date Night" |
2013 | Nicky Deuce | Tutti | TV movie |
2014 | Old Soul | Rita | TV movie |
2015 | Getting On | Sister Lily Claire | Episode: "Reduced to Eating Boiled Magazines and Book Paste" |
2015–2019 | Jane the Virgin | Liliana De La Vega | 5 episodes: "Chapter Eighteen", "Chapter Thirty-Three", "Chapter Thirty-Two", "Chapter Thirty-One", "Chapter One-Hundred" Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |
2015–present | Nina's World | Abuelita (voice) | |
2015 | A Gift of Miracles | Beverly | TV movie |
2016 | Grey's Anatomy | Gayle | Episode: "Odd Man Out" |
2016 | Grace and Frankie | Lucy | Episode: "The Vitamix" |
2017–present | One Day at a Time | Lydia | Main cast |
2018 | Elena of Avalor | Queen Camila (voice) | 2 episodes |
2019 | Carmen Sandiego | Cookie Booker | Voice role |
