Rita Moreno is the only person of Hispanic descent to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. After playing a widely recognized role of Anita in West Side Story (one that gave her a much unexpected upset over Judy Garland in the 1961 Best Supporting Actress field), she swore she would never go back to playing the stereotypes reserved for Latina actresses in the 1960s’ Hollywood: gang girlfriends or barefoot seductresses in Westerns. Here, on the occasion of the Screen Actor’s Guild awarding her a Life Achievement award, she talks about how long it took Hollywood to get that message.
Fun fact: Rita Moreno’s first Emmy was Best Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, for her guest stint on The Muppet Show. You can read The Hollywood Reporter’s whole interview with her here.
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