History of Rita Moreno in Timeline
Rita Moreno is a highly acclaimed American actress, dancer, and singer whose career has lasted for eight decades, making her one of the last stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is one of the few EGOT winners, having received an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. She has also been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, and a Peabody Award.
1912: Birth of Rosa María Marcano
In 1912, Rosa María Marcano, Rita Moreno's mother, was born.
December 11, 1931: Rita Moreno Born
On December 11, 1931, Rita Moreno, originally named Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano, was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico. She would become an accomplished American actress, dancer, and singer.
1936: Move to New York City
In 1936, Rita Moreno's mother moved with her to New York City.
1945: Broadway Debut
In 1945, at the age of 13, Rita Moreno had her first Broadway role as Angelina in "Skydrift", attracting Hollywood talent scouts.
1950: The Toast of New Orleans
In 1950, Rita Moreno acted in the film "The Toast of New Orleans".
1952: Singin' in the Rain Role
In 1952, Rita Moreno appeared in "Singin' in the Rain" as Zelda Zanders, which she described as an "amazing experience".
March 1954: Life Magazine Cover
In March 1954, Rita Moreno was featured on the cover of Life magazine.
1956: The King and I
In 1956, Rita Moreno had a supporting role in the film "The King and I".
1959: Tales of Wells Fargo
In 1959, Rita Moreno appeared as Lola Montez in an episode of "Tales of Wells Fargo".
1961: West Side Story Oscar Win
In 1961, Rita Moreno gained recognition for her role as Anita in "West Side Story", earning her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and marking her as the first Latin American woman to win an Academy Award.
1961: Summer and Smoke
In 1961, Rita Moreno had a major role in "Summer and Smoke".
1964: The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
In 1964, Rita Moreno acted in Lorraine Hansberry's "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window".
1968: The Night of the Following Day
In 1968, Rita Moreno returned to film in "The Night of the Following Day" with Marlon Brando.
1969: Popi and Marlowe Films
In 1969, Rita Moreno appeared in "Popi" and "Marlowe".
1969: Film Popi Released
In 1969, Rita Moreno starred in the film "Popi".
1971: The Electric Company Cast Member
From 1971, Rita Moreno was a main cast member on "The Electric Company".
1971: Carnal Knowledge Film
In 1971, Rita Moreno appeared in the film "Carnal Knowledge".
1972: Emmy for The Electric Company
In 1972, Rita Moreno won an Emmy for her work on "The Electric Company".
1975: One Day at a Time Original
In 1975, Norman Lear's sitcom, which would later be remade with Rita Moreno, debuted.
1975: The Ritz on Broadway
In 1975, Rita Moreno starred in the Terrence McNally musical "The Ritz" as Googie Gomez, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
1975: Tony Award for The Ritz
In 1975, Rita Moreno won a Tony Award for "The Ritz".
1976: The Ritz film adaptation
In 1976, Rita Moreno reprised her role in the film adaptation of "The Ritz", earning a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actress.
1977: The Muppet Show Emmy
In 1977, Rita Moreno received a Primetime Emmy Award for her appearance on "The Muppet Show".
1977: Emmy for The Muppet Show
In 1977, Rita Moreno won a Primetime Emmy Award for "The Muppet Show", becoming the third EGOT winner.
1977: The Electric Company Ended
In 1977, Rita Moreno's time on "The Electric Company" ended.
1978: Emmy for The Rockford Files
In 1978, Rita Moreno won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role on "The Rockford Files".
1981: The Four Seasons
In 1981, Rita Moreno appeared in the film "The Four Seasons".
1985: The Odd Couple
In 1985, Rita Moreno acted in Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple".
1985: Sarah Siddons Award
In 1985, Rita Moreno won the Sarah Siddons Award for her role in the female version of "The Odd Couple" in Chicago.
1993: Performance at White House
In 1993, Rita Moreno was invited to perform at President Bill Clinton's inauguration and later at the White House.
1994: I Like It Like That Film
In 1994, Rita Moreno appeared in the film "I Like It Like That".
1994: Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?
In 1994, Rita Moreno began voicing Carmen Sandiego on the animated series "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?".
1997: HBO's Oz
In 1997, Rita Moreno began playing Sister Peter Marie Reimondo on the HBO series "Oz".
1998: Slums of Beverly Hills Film
In 1998, Rita Moreno appeared in the film "Slums of Beverly Hills".
1999: Death of Rosa María Marcano
In 1999, Rosa María Marcano, Rita Moreno's mother, passed away.
2000: Eponymous Album Release
In 2000, Rita Moreno released a self-titled album of nightclub songs.
2004: Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2004, Rita Moreno was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to the arts.
2006: The Glass Menagerie
In 2006, Rita Moreno portrayed Amanda Wingfield in Berkeley Repertory Theatre's revival of "The Glass Menagerie".
2007: Cane TV Series
In 2007, Rita Moreno played the family matriarch on the TV series "Cane".
2009: National Medal of Arts
In 2009, Rita Moreno received the National Medal of Arts, recognizing her significant impact on the artistic landscape.
September 2011: Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup
In September 2011, Rita Moreno began performing her autobiographical show, "Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup", at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
2011: Happily Divorced
In 2011, Rita Moreno played the mother of Fran Drescher's character in the TV sitcom "Happily Divorced".
2013: Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
In 2013, Rita Moreno was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, celebrating her remarkable career in film and television.
2014: Rio 2 and Old Soul
In 2014, Rita Moreno had a voice role in "Rio 2" and appeared in the NBC television film "Old Soul".
2015: Jane the Virgin
In 2015, Rita Moreno began acting in The CW series "Jane the Virgin".
2015: Kennedy Center Honor
In 2015, Rita Moreno received the Kennedy Center Honor, recognizing her lifetime contributions to American culture through performing arts.
January 2017: One Day at a Time Premiere
In January 2017, the first season of "One Day at a Time", starring Rita Moreno, premiered on Netflix.
2017: One Day at a Time Revival
In 2017, Rita Moreno began starring in the Netflix revival of "One Day at a Time".
2019: Cookie Booker Voice
In 2019, Rita Moreno voiced the character Cookie Booker in the "Carmen Sandiego" animated series.
2019: Peabody Award
In 2019, Rita Moreno was honored with a Peabody Award for her work.
2020: West Side Story Adaptation
In 2020, Rita Moreno starred in and executive-produced the Steven Spielberg-directed adaptation of "West Side Story".
August 29, 2021: Wicked in Concert
On August 29, 2021, Rita Moreno participated in the "Wicked in Concert" special on PBS, performing "The Wizard and I".
December 10, 2021: West Side Story Remake Release
On December 10, 2021, the Steven Spielberg-directed adaptation of "West Side Story" was released, with Rita Moreno in a new role.
2021: West Side Story Remake
In 2021, Rita Moreno returned in the Spielberg-directed remake of "West Side Story" in the supporting role of Valentina.
2021: Reunion with Brother
In 2021, Rita Moreno reunited with her younger brother, Francisco, after many years.
2021: Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
In 2021, a profile documentary of Rita Moreno, "Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It" was released.
2023: 80 for Brady and Fast X
In 2023, Rita Moreno starred in the sports comedy "80 for Brady" and "Fast X".
