Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and theater projects throughout her extensive career spanning over seven decades. Her work includes supporting roles in the classic musical films Singin' in the Rain (1952), The King and I (1956), and the 1961 and 2021 film adaptations of West Side Story. Her other notable films include Popi (1969), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Four Seasons (1981), I Like It Like That (1994) and the cult film Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). She is also known for her work on television including the children's television series The Electric Company (1971–1977), and as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo on the HBO series Oz (1997–2003). She voiced the titular role of in Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? from 1994 to 1999. She also gained acclaim for her roles in Jane the Virgin (2015–2019) and the revival of Norman Lear's One Day at a Time (2017–2020). In theater, she is best known for her role as Googie Gomez in the 1975 musical The Ritz. Among her numerous accolades, Moreno is one of a few performers to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT). She is also one of 24 people who have achieved what is called the Triple Crown of Acting, with individual competitive Academy, Emmy and Tony awards for acting. In 2004, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor bestowed upon her by George W. Bush. In 2009, President Barack Obama presented her with the National Medal of Arts. In 2013, she received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2015, she was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor for her contribution to American culture through performing arts. She was awarded the Peabody Award in 2019. Her life was profiled in the 2021 documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.

Filmography

• 2024The Prank — Mrs. Wheeler
• 202380 for Brady — Maura
• 2023Family Switch — Angelica
• 2023Fast X — Abuelita
• 2022Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration — Narrator (voice)
• 2022My Father's Dragon — Mrs. McClaren (voice)
• 2022Santa Bootcamp — Belle
• 2021Curious George: Cape Ahoy — Gertrude St. John (voice)
• Maya and the Three — Ah Puch (voice)
• 2021West Side Story — Valentina, Executive Producer
• Bless This Mess — Theresa
• Carmen Sandiego — Cookie Booker (voice)
• Green Eggs and Ham — Dookess (voice)
• 2018Torch — Aunt Francine
• One Day at a Time — Lydia Riera
• 2016Remember Me — Nanna
• 2015A Gift of Miracles — Beverly Davis
• Grace and Frankie — Lucy Chambers
• Nina's World — Abuelita
• 2014Actresses Turned Producer/Directors
• Jane the Virgin — Liliana De La Vega
• 2014Rio 2 — Aunt Mimi (voice)
• 2014Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks — Ida Barksdale
• Getting On — Sister Lily Claire
• 2013Nicky Deuce — Tutti
• Welcome to the Family — Lita
• Happily Divorced — Dori Newman
• 2011The Day Of The Dead
• 2009When Medicine Got It Wrong — Narrator
• In Plain Sight — Rita Ramirez
• Cane — Amalia Duque
• Ugly Betty — Aunt Mirta
• Grey's Anatomy — Gayle McColl
• Law & Order: Trial by Jury — Mildred Quintana
• 2005The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo — Narrator (voice)
• Wanted — Mrs. Kelly
• 2004King of the Corner — Inez
• 2003Casa de los Babys — Señora Muñoz
• 2003Open House — Lydia Fitch
• 2003Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico — Doña Dolores / Woman #3 (voice)
• The Handler
• George Lopez — Luisa Diaz
• 2002The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Frances Goren
• 2001Piñero — Miguel's Mother
• The Guardian — Caroline Novack
• 2000Blue Moon — Maggie Cavallo
• Strong Medicine — Lydia
• 2000When It Was a Game 3 — Passage Narrator (voice)
• 1999Carlo's Wake — Angela Torello
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Mildred Quintana
• 1999Resurrection — Mimi
• 1999The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds... It Leads — Rita Kapkovic Landale
• 1998Slums of Beverly Hills — Belle Abromowitz
• 1998The Spree — Irma Kelly
• Oz — Sister Peter Marie Reimondo
• 1996The Wharf Rat — Mom
• 1995Angus — Madame Rulenska
• Burke's Law — Jackie Lodge
• 1994I Like It Like That — Rosaria Linares
• 1994Italian Movie — Isabella
• The Cosby Mysteries
• The Magic School Bus — Dr. Carmina Skeledon (voice)
• Touched by an Angel — Amanda Revere
• Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? — Carmen Sandiego (voice)
• The Nanny — Mrs. Wickervich Stone
• Hearts Afire — Senator Rhonda Hall
• The Larry Sanders Show — Rita Moreno
• 1991Age Isn't Everything — Rita
• Top of the Heap — Alixandra Stone
• Captain Planet and the Planeteers — Ella Salvador (voice)
• B.L. Stryker — Kimberly Baskin
• The Golden Girls — Renee Corliss
• Miami Vice — Congresswoman Madelyn Woods
• The Cosby Show — Mrs. Granger
• 9 to 5 — Violet Newstead
• American Playhouse — Waitress
• 1982Portrait of a Showgirl — Rosella DeLeon
• 1982Working — Waitress
• 1981Evita Peron — Renata Riguel
• 1981The Four Seasons — Claudia Zimmer
• 1980Happy Birthday, Gemini — Lucille Pompi
• 1979Anatomy of a Seduction — Nina
• The Marti Caine Show
• Trapper John, M.D.
• 1978The Boss' Son — Esther Rose
• Lanigan's Rabbi — Millie Hillman
• The Love Boat — Gladys Gordon
• 1976The Ritz — Googie Gomez
• On the Rocks
• The Rockford Files — Rita Capkovic
• 1971Carnal Knowledge — Louise
• The Electric Company — Carmela
• 1969Marlowe — Dolores Gonzáles
• Medical Center — Lydia Neal
• 1969Popi — Lupe
• 1969The Night of the Following Day — Blonde
• Run for Your Life — Anita
• Seaway — Annabelle
• Burke's Law — Margaret Cowls
• 1963Cry of Battle — Sisa
• 1962Samar — Woman Convict
• 1961Summer and Smoke — Rosa Zacharias
• 1961West Side Story — Anita
• 1960Mga Alamat Ng Sandaigdig
• 1960This Rebel Breed — Lola Montalvo
• Adventures in Paradise — Inez Sanders
• Bourbon Street Beat
• Cimarron City
• Richard Diamond, Private Detective — Maria Ferrari
• 1957The Deerslayer — Hetty Hutter
• Trackdown — Tina
• Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre — Linda
• Playhouse 90 — Rita
• 1956The King and I — Tuptim
• 1956The Lieutenant Wore Skirts — Sandra Roberts
• 1956The Vagabond King — Huguette
• Matinee Theater
• 1955Seven Cities of Gold — Ula
• The 20th Century Fox Hour — Sonseeahray
• The Millionaire — Alicia Conception Osante Williams
• 1955Untamed — Julia
• Climax! — Irene, Maria, Denise Cardoza, Francesca
• 1954Garden of Evil — Cantina Singer
• 1954Jivaro — Maroa
• The Wonderful World of Disney — Chulita
• 1954The Yellow Tomahawk — Honey Bear
• 1953El Alaméin — Jara
• 1953Fort Vengeance — Bridget Fitzgibbon
• General Electric Theater — Princess Michal
• 1953Latin Lovers — Christina
• 1952Cattle Town — Queli
• Cavalcade of America
• China Smith
• 1952Singin' in the Rain — Zelda Zanders
• The Abbott and Costello Show — Telegram delivery girl
• 1952The Fabulous Senorita — Manuela Rodríguez
• The Ford Television Theatre — Serene Crane
• 1952The Ring — Lucy Gomez
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars — Lit-Lit
• 1950Pagan Love Song — Terru
• 1950So Young, So Bad — Dolores Guererro
• 1950The Toast of New Orleans — Tina
• Ford Theatre
• Theirs

Appearances as themselves (75)

• 2025A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music — Self
• 2025Clemente — Self
• Hollywood Squares — Self
• 2024Jim Henson Idea Man — Self
• 2024My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert — Self
• 2023Paul Newman: The Restless — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter — Self
• Sherri — Self - Guest
• 2022Still Working 9 to 5 — Self
• The Jennifer Hudson Show — Self
• 2022The Stories of West Side Story — Self
• 2021Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It — Self
• 2021Something's Coming: West Side Story — Self
• 2021Wicked in Concert: A Musical Celebration of the Iconic Broadway Score — Self
• Stars in the House — Self
• 2019Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage — Self
• 2019Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate — Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• The Tamron Hall Show — Self - Guest
• 2018Every Act of Life — Self
• 2016De Puerto Rico para el mundo — Self
• The $100,000 Pyramid — Self
• To Tell the Truth — Self - Panelist
• 2016West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic — Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self
• 2015The Latin Explosion: A New America — Self
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — Self - Guest
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self - Guest
• 2014Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire — Self - Actress
• 2014Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self
• Variety Studio: Actors on Actors — Self
• 2009Celebrity Habla — Self
• 2009Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's — Self
• 2009Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression — Self
• 2009I Know a Woman Like That — Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• 2008Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History — Self
• 2006Best Ever Muppet Moments — Self
• 2006The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits — Self
• The Reichen Show — Self
• 2004AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies — Self
• 2004Happy to Be Nappy and Other Stories of Me — Self (voice)
• 2003West Side Memories — Self
• 2002AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories — Self
• The View — Self - Guest
• 1995Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business — Self
• Women of the House — Self
• 1995Yul Brynner: The Man Who Was King — Self
• 1994Jerry Herman's Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl — Self
• Intimate Portrait — Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• 19891989 Walt Disney World 4th of July Spectacular — Self
• 1989Rita Moreno: Now You Can! — Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self - Guest
• 1986The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years — Self (archive footage)
• 1985The Muppet Revue — Self
• 1982Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady — Self
• 1979The Muppets Go Hollywood — Self
• The Captain and Tennille — Self - Guest
• The Muppet Show — Self - Special Guest Star
• Dinah! — Self
• 1974Out to Lunch — Self / Divorce Woman / Posy / Spectator / 50s Dancer
• 1971Voice of La Raza — Self
• 60 Minutes — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• The Carol Burnett Show — Self - Guest
• Miss USA — Self - Judge
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Winner, Self - Presenter
• The Oscars — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Nominee