VIDEO: Rita Moreno Visits Backstage LIVE with Richard Ridge- Watch Now!

Her documentary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,  will be released on June 18.

By: Jun. 14, 2021
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Seeing your favorite Broadway stars live on a Broadway stage may not be a reality for a while, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them live from your screen. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge is keeping up with all of their latest projects on Backstage Live, bringing you in-depth interviews twice weekly.

Watch as he chats with stage and screen legend Rita Moreno, whose new documentary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, will be released on June 18.

"I'm really very proud of it, because it's not as though I had an influence on it. One of the things you give up when you have a documentary done about your life is that 'they' decide what's usable and what's not. It took me a while to decide to do it." she explained. "I did tell them that I wanted very much to be as honest as I could possibly be. And it's one of the things that has impressed people- that it's so dramatically truthful. You can tell it's authentic, and I'm very happy about that."

Over a 70+ year career, Rita Moreno 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. Born into poverty on a Puerto Rican farm, Moreno and her seamstress mother immigrated to New York City when Moreno was five years old.

After studying dance and performing on Broadway, Moreno was cast as any ethnic minority the Hollywood studios needed filled, be it Polynesian, Native American or Egyptian. 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.

The film illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as lesser-known struggles faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and abuse, 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.

Watch as Rita tells us even more about her life on stage and screen in the complete interview below!


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