Rita Moreno’s Biography, Net Worth, Age, Husband, and Family

Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer born Rosa Dolores Alvero Marcano on December 11, 1931. So, she is known for her work in various entertainment industry fields, having performed in several films, television, and theatrical projects throughout her seven-decade career. Also, she is one of the few living stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Her film credits include supporting roles in Singin’ in the Rain (1952), The King and I (1956), and the 1961 and 2021 film adaptations of West Side Story. Popi (1969), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Four Seasons (1981), I Like It Like That (1994), and the cult classic Slums of Beverly Hills are among her other significant films (1998). 

She is renowned for her roles in the children’s television series The Electric Company (1971–1977) and the HBO series Oz (1997–2003) as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo. Moreno began her dancing training with “Paco Cansino,” a Spanish dancer who was Rita Hayworth’s paternal uncle, shortly after arriving in New York. She began lending her voice to Spanish-language adaptations of American films when she was 11. By the age of 13, she had landed her first Broadway part, as “Angelina” in Skydrift, which drew the attention of Hollywood talent scouts.

Facts about Rita Moreno:

Rita Moreno’s Net Worth:

Rita Moreno is an actress, dancer, and singer who has worked in the entertainment industry for almost 70 years. Also, Moreno has a $10 million net worth. The film musicals “Singin’ in the Rain,” “The King and I,” and “West Side Story,” for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, are among her notable credits. So, Moreno is among the few to have earned the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) award.

Rita Moreno Early Life

Rita Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alvero Marcano in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on December 11, 1931. Rosa Mara, her mother, was a seamstress, and Francisco José Alvero, her father, was a farmer. Francisco Moreno is Moreno’s younger brother. Moreno moved to New York City with her mother when she was a child. She began taking dancing lessons from a Spanish dancer shortly after her arrival. Moreno started doing Spanish-language dubs of American films when she was 11 years old. She made her Broadway debut at the age of 13 in “Skydrift,” which drew the attention of Hollywood talent scouts. Moreno lived in Valley Stream, Long Island, at the time.

Rita Moreno’s Career

Moreno began her career in the movies in the latter years of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She made her film debut in 1950, with roles in three MGM musicals, including “The Toast of New Orleans” and “Pagan Love Song.” Also, Moreno starred as silent cinema star Zelda Zanders in Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s musical comedy “Singin’ in the Rain” in 1952. So, Moreno went on to star in films including “The Fabulous Seorita,” “Fort Vengeance,” “Latin Lovers,” “Jivaro,” “Untamed,” and “The Vagabond King,” and “The Deerslayer,” among others, throughout the 1950s. However, she was dissatisfied with her roles at the time, believing she was typecast in traditional Hispanic roles. Her supporting part in “The King and I” was an exception.

Most amazing performances:

In 1961, Moreno played Anita in the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical “West Side Story,” which became her most prominent role. The film went on to win ten Academy Awards, including one for Moreno for Best Supporting Actress. Following that, she starred in “Summer and Smoke” and “Cry of Battle” before taking a self-imposed hiatus from the entertainment industry. She returned in 1969 with three films: “The Night of the Following Day,” a crime drama starring Marlon Brando, “Popi,” a dramedy starring Alan Arkin, and the neo-noir “Marlowe,” starring James Garner.

“Carnal Knowledge” and “The Ritz” were two Moreno’s major 1970s credits. She appeared in “Age Isn’t Everything,” “I Like It Like That,” “Angus,” and “Slums of Beverly Hills” in the 1990s after only acting in two films in the 1980s. Also, “Blue Moon,” “Piero,” “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,” “Remember Me,” and Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of “West Side Story” are among Moreno’s recent credits. So, Moreno appeared on shows like “Fireside Theatre,” “China Smith,” “General Electric Theater,” “Cavalcade of America,” “And Climax!” “Father Knows Best,” and “Trackdown” during the 1950s. “Richard Diamond, Private Detective,” “Zorro,” “Adventures in Paradise,” “Burke’s Law,” and “Run for Your Life” were among her credits throughout the next decade. ‘

Other works:

Moreno had one of her most notable appearances as a prominent cast member on the PBS children’s show “The Electric Company” from 1971 to 1977. She played Pandora, Otto, and Millie, among other roles, in addition to delivering the show’s classic opening line, “Hey, you guys!” Also, Moreno earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his appearance on “The Muppet Show” in the 1970s. So, she became only the third person to earn the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) in the process. Her guest-starring turn on “The Rockford Files” earned her another Emmy the following year. In the 1980s, Moreno had a regular role on the ABC sitcom “9 to 5,” based on a film of the same name.

She also appeared on “The Love Boat,” “The Cosby Show,” “The Golden Girls,” and “Miami Vice,” among other shows. Moreno continued to guest star on various shows throughout the 1990s, and she also lent her voice to the animated series “Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?” as the eponymous character.

Other roles:

During the same decade, Moreno landed the lead role of Sister Pete in HBO’s prison drama “Oz,” in which she starred until 2003. She then starred in episodes of “American Family,” “Strong Medicine,” “The Guardian,” “Law & Order,” “Ugly Betty,” and “In Plain Sight,” among other shows. Also, Moreno starred in the sitcom “Happily Divorced” from 2011 to 2013. She went on to play the mother of a Cuban-American family in the remake of the sitcom “One Day at a Time.” Voice performances in the animated shows So, “Nina’s World” and “Elena of Avalor” are among Moreno’s other credits.

Moreno has performed on Broadway in shows such as “Last of the Red Hot Lovers,” “Gantry,” and “The Ritz.” She earned the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress for the latter. Moreno later appeared in a female version of “The Odd Couple” in Chicago.

Rita Moreno’s Family Background

Moreno was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, to a seamstress named Rosa Mara (née Marcano) and a farmer named Francisco José “Paco” Alvero. “Rosita” was her nickname. Moreno was reared in Juncos by her mother, who was 17 at the time of her birth. Justino Marcano (born in Puerto Rico) and Trinidad from Spain were her maternal grandparents. Moreno’s mother traveled to New York City in 1936 with her daughter but not with her son, Francisco, Moreno’s younger brother, whom Moreno would not see again until 2021. Also, Moreno took the surname of her first stepfather, Rosa Maria’s second husband, Edward Moreno. So, she grew up in the Long Island towns of Valley Stream, which are part of the municipality of Hempstead, which borders New York City. 

Rita Moreno’s relationship status

Keith married Tricia Lucus on March 24, 1984. Shelley (born in 1980, adopted by Keith Moreno married physician Leonard Gordon, who also happened to be her manager, in 1965. Gordon died in 2010, and the couple remained together till then. They had a daughter named Fernanda together.

Rita Moreno’s Background in Education

Rita Moreno received a Ph. D. from The Juilliard School.

Awards

Moreno has garnered numerous prizes, including multiple lifetime achievement awards, in addition to her EGOT. A Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Peabody Award has also been bestowed upon her.

Faqs:

Rita Moreno’s net worth is?

She has a net worth of $10 million.

What makes Rita Moreno so significant?

Her depictions of an Irish teacher, an Italian widow, an evangelist, an English woman, and a southern belle shattered racial and gender barriers, paving the way for non-traditional Latina casting.

Rita Moreno changed her name for a reason?

So Young, So Bad was her first picture, released in 1950. After this role, she secured a seven-year deal with Louis B. Mayer’s MGM Studios and changed her name to Rita Moreno.

Was Rita Moreno a part of the first West Side Story?

Moreno plays Valentina, the widow of Doc, who owned the candy business in the original “West Side Story” in Steven Spielberg’s remake.

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