Rita Moreno is a Hollywood legend.
The 93-year-old actress, singer, and dancer has an impressive career that spans more than 70 years.
In addition to starring in some of our favorite musicals — including Singin’ in the Rain, The King and I, the original 1961 West Side Story film and Steven Spielberg’s remake — Moreno has received multiple accolades.
In fact, she is one of the few stars in Hollywood to have earned the prestigious EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony).
In honor of her 93rd birthday on Dec. 11, 2024, look back at some of her biggest life moments in pictures.
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Rita Moreno in ‘West Side Story’
Widely regarded as her most notable role, Moreno starred as Anita in the 1961 movie adaptation of West Side Story.
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Rita Moreno at the 1962 Academy Awards
Moreno’s role in West Side Story earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, marking one of her first big accolades.
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Rita Moreno and Marlon Brando in ‘Désirée’
After meeting on the set of the Napoleon biopic Désirée, Moreno dated actor Marlon Brando on-and-off for eight years in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s. In 2017, Moreno told PEOPLE Brando was the “lust” of her life. (She also recently admitted to dating Elvis Presley to get back at Brando for cheating.)
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Rita Moreno in ‘The Ritz’
Moreno starred in a handful of Broadway productions in the late ’60s to early ’70s, including The Ritz, for which she won the 1975 Tony Award for best featured actress. She later reprised her role for the 1976 movie adaptation of the musical.
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Rita Moreno and Husband Leonard Gordon
In 1965, Moreno married cardiologist Leonard Gordon. In 1967, they welcomed a daughter named Fernanda Luisa Gordon. Moreno and Gordon were married for 45 years before he died in 2010.
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Rita Moreno in ‘The Electric Company’
From 1971 to 1977, Moreno starred in the PBS children’s series The Electric Company alongside other big names including Bill Cosby and Morgan Freeman. The show earned her a Grammy Award for best children’s album in 1972.
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Rita Moreno in ‘9 to 5’
In the 1970s and ’80s, Moreno made several appearances on hit TV shows including The Love Boat, The Golden Girls and Miami Vice. (Her stints on The Rockford Files and The Muppet Show landed her two Emmys.) She also had a starring role on the sitcom 9 to 5, which was based on the 1980 movie of the same name starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton.
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Rita Moreno in ‘Happily Divorced’
After making a guest appearance on The Nanny in the ’90s, Moreno joined forces with Fran Drescher again for the TV sitcom Happily Divorced, which ran from 2011 to 2013.
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Rita Moreno in ‘One Day at a Time’
Another one of Moreno’s most notable roles was Lydia in the Netflix sitcom One Day at a Time, a remake of the 1975 sitcom of the same name. The show received critical acclaim during its four-season run, including a Primetime Emmy Award in 2020.
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Rita Moreno at 2018 Academy Awards
In 2018, Moreno presented at the Oscars, while recycling one of her most iconic looks. The actress wore the same dress she wore to the 1962 Oscars when she won Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story.
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Rita Moreno in 2021’s ‘West Side Story’
After playing Anita in the original West Side Story, Moreno made an appearance in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake as a newly created character named Valentina. Ariana DeBose took on the role of Anita in the new movie, winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work.
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Rita Moreno and Her Grandchildren
Through her daughter Fernanda, Moreno is a grandmother to two boys, Cameron, born in 2000, and Justin, born in 1998. She’s given them a taste of the movie star life by bringing them as dates to red carpet events, including the 80 for Brady premiere and the 2024 Academy Museum Gala.
Asked when she feels most beautiful, she told PEOPLE in 2021, “When I’m looking into the eyes of my grandboys, and that’s one of them.”
Source: People
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