Over a career of more than 70 years, Rita Moreno has defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become a celebrated and beloved actor, one of the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) award winners of our time. Despite becoming the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award for her role as Anita in WEST SIDE STORY (1961), the studios continued to offer Moreno lesser roles as stereotypical ethnic minorities, ignoring her proven talent.
RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as less-public struggles she faced on her path to stardom — including pernicious Hollywood sexism, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and serious depression a year before she emerged an Oscar winner. Moreno’s talent and resilience triumphed over adversity, as she broke barriers, fought for representation, and forged the path for new generations of artists.
“The measure of [Moreno’s] greatness rests in her career longevity running parallel with integrity…. A powerful cultural artifact that will educate future generations of Latinos about a pioneer who survived and conquered a field unwelcoming of her.” —Carlos Aguilar, The Wrap “Pays proper homage to this national treasure by telling it like it is — just as she does.” —Jude Dry, IndieWire “Cheerfully jumps from one heartening career reinvention to the next, with sobering lulls to ponder what an even more prolific filmography she might have had without profligate racism and sexism standing in her path.” —Chris WIllman, Variety
